DataPoint API reference
A consolidated guide to using the DataPoint API and products
Contents
Overview
All DataPoint resources have a base URL of http://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/ and must be requested with your API key as a query in the format:
http://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/resource?key=APIkey
For example, to get a three-hourly five-day forecast for Dunkeswell Aerodrome:
http://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/val/wxfcs/all/xml/3840?res=3hourly&key=01234567-89ab-cdef-0123-456789abcdef
You will need to register for DataPoint and use your own API key.
Supported datatype values:
| Data type | Description |
|---|---|
xml | Extensible Markup Language. |
json | JavaScript Object Notation. |
Both XML and JSON are human readable and parsers available for many languages.
Location-specific data
This includes forecasts for approximately 5,000 sites and observations for approximately 140 sites across the UK. Forecasts are provided for the next five days and observations for the past 24 hours.
| Resource | Description | Approx. size (kB) |
|---|---|---|
val/wxfcs/all/datatype/sitelist | Returns a list of locations (also known as sites) for which results are available for the daily and three-hourly forecast data feeds. You can use this to find the ID of the site that you are interested in. | 400 |
val/wxfcs/all/datatype/capabilities | Returns the time steps available for the daily or three-hourly UK forecast data feed. You can use this data feed to check that the time step you are interested in is available before querying the relevant web service to get the data. | 2 |
val/wxfcs/all/datatype/locationId | Returns a forecast for the next five days including today. Forecast time steps are either daily (separate day and night), or every three-hours. Updated hourly. | 4 |
val/wxobs/all/datatype/sitelist | Returns a list of locations (also known as sites) for which results are available for the hourly observations data feed. You can use this to find the ID of the site that you are interested in. | 9 |
val/wxobs/all/datatype/capabilities | Returns a summary of available time steps for the UK observations data feed. You can use this data feed to check that the time step you are interested in is available before querying the relevant web service to get the data. Updated hourly. | 0.8 |
val/wxobs/all/datatype/locationId | Returns hourly weather observations for the last 24 hours. Updated hourly. | 2 |
Supported locationId values for location-specific data:
| Location ID | Description |
|---|---|
number | A numbered location ID e.g. Dunkeswell Aerodrome = 3840. The list of location IDs available for a datafeed can be fetched using the sitelist resource for that datafeed. |
all | The location all can be used to fetch the data for all locations available in a datafeed. This will significantly increase the size of the returned data. Consider using the time query to restrict the data to a specific time step. |
Textual data
Including national and regional UK forecasts for the next five days and a national outlook to out to 15 and 30 days ahead.
| Resource | Description | Approx. size (kB) |
|---|---|---|
txt/wxobs/ukextremes/datatype/capabilities | Returns when the regional extremes observations data feed was last updated, and the period it covers. | 0.1 |
txt/wxobs/ukextremes/datatype/latest | Returns the regional observed extremes of weather across the UK for the day of issue. Updated daily. | 9 |
txt/wxfcs/nationalpark/datatype/sitelist | Returns a list of locations the National Park forecast data feed provides data for. You can use this to find the ID of the site that you are interested in. | 0.5 |
txt/wxfcs/nationalpark/datatype/capabilities | Returns when the data for each of the National Park forecasts was updated. You can use this to check when the forecasts have updated rather than fetching the National Park forecasts repeatedly. | 2 |
txt/wxfcs/nationalpark/datatype/locationId | Returns a text forecast for a National Park. Updated twice daily, early morning and early afternoon. | 0.8 |
txt/wxfcs/regionalforecast/datatype/sitelist | Returns a list of locations the regional forecast data feed provides data for. You can use this to find the ID of the site that you are interested in. | 0.6 |
txt/wxfcs/regionalforecast/datatype/capabilities | Returns when the regional forecast was updated. You can use this to check when the forecasts have updated rather than fetching the regional forecasts repeatedly. | 0.1 |
txt/wxfcs/regionalforecast/datatype/locationId | Returns regional forecast text. Updated twice daily, AM and PM, normally early morning and early afternoon. | 3 |
txt/wxfcs/mountainarea/datatype/sitelist | Returns a list of locations the mountain area forecast data feed provides data for .You can use this to find the ID of the site that you are interested in. | 0.3 |
txt/wxfcs/mountainarea/datatype/capabilities | Returns the forecast creation dates, valid from and to dates, and the general risk for each mountain area. | 2 |
txt/wxfcs/mountainarea/datatype/locationId | Returns a mountain area forecast covering the four day period after its issue date. Updated at least, once a day but may be updated more often. | 4 |
Supported locationId values for textual data:
| Location ID | Description |
|---|---|
number | A numbered location ID e.g. South West England = 513. The list of location IDs available for a datafeed can be fetched using the sitelist resource for that datafeed. |
all | The location all can be used to fetch the data for all locations only in the nationalpark datafeed. |
Stand-alone imagery
Surface pressure analysis and forecast charts.
| Resource | Description | Approx. size (kB) |
|---|---|---|
image/wxfcs/surfacepressure/datatype/capabilities | Returns when the current surface pressure charts were issued, the time steps available, and the URIs of the surface pressure synoptic analysis and forecast charts in GIF format. Update twice daily. | 3 |
Map overlay imagery
Observation and forecast images suitable for use as overlays on maps. Includes rainfall radar and satellite imagery.
| Resource | Description | Approx. size (kB) |
|---|---|---|
layer/wxfcs/all/datatype/capabilities | Returns when the forecast layers were issued, time steps available, and the URIs of the layers in PNG format. Update hourly. | 3 |
layer/wxobs/all/datatype/capabilities | Returns when the observation layers were issued, time steps available, and the URIs of the layers in PNG format. Updated every 15 minutes. | 3 |
For more detail please refer to the complete DataPoint API reference
