Marine observations site list feed detailed documentation

This data feed provides the buoys, light vessels and island system names

Description of data feed

The marine observations site list data feed provides a list of the locations (also known as sites) for which results are available for the marine observations data feeds. You can use this data feed to find details such as the ID of the site that you are interested in finding data for.

Accessing the feed via its web service

Description of web service

You should set the data format in the URL to specify whether the web service should return XML or JSON, and include your API key in the query string.

Possible use cases for this web service with example URLs

1. You would like to know which sites are available for the marine hourly observations web services in XML format. In this case you would set the data type to xml.

Example: to obtain sites for the marine observations web services:

http://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/val/wxmarineobs/all/xml/sitelist?key=<APIKey>

The above example would return approximately 24 sites in XML format, resulting in a file size of approximately 3.6 kB

2. You would like to know which sites are available for the marine hourly observations web services in JSON format. In this case you would set the data type to json.

Example: to obtain sites for the marine observation web services:

http://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/val/wxmarineobs/all/json/sitelist?key=<APIKey>

The above example would return approximately 24 sites in JSON format, resulting in a file size of approximatel 3.5 kB

Example of XML and JSON responses

The following examples show a typical result of a call to the marine hourly observations site list web service requesting a complete list of sites for which observations are available.

XML

The XML that follows is a representative response to a call to the following URL, with a valid key:

http://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/val/wxmarineobs/all/xml/sitelist?key=<APIkey>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Locations>
<Location id="162103" latitude="49.9167" longitude="-2.883" obsLocationType="Light Vessel" obsRegion="South Coast" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="Channel Lightship"></Location>
<Location id="162305" latitude="50.4167" longitude="0.0" obsLocationType="Light Vessel" obsRegion="South Coast" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="Greenwich Light Vessel"></Location>
<Location id="162001" latitude="45.23" longitude="-5.0" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="Offshore" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="Gascogne"></Location>
<Location id="162029" latitude="48.72" longitude="-12.43" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="Offshore" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="K1"></Location>
<Location id="162081" latitude="51.0" longitude="-13.35" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="Offshore" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="K2"></Location>
<Location id="162105" latitude="55.42" longitude="-12.57" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="West Coast" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="K4"></Location>
<Location id="162163" latitude="47.55" longitude="-8.47" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="Offshore" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="Brittany"></Location>
<Location id="162303" latitude="51.62" longitude="-5.15" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="West Coast" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="Turbot Bank"></Location>
<Location id="162304" latitude="51.15" longitude="1.78" obsLocationType="Light Vessel" obsRegion="East and North Coasts" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="Sandettie"></Location>
<Location id="164045" latitude="59.07" longitude="-11.42" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="West Coast" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="K5"></Location>
<Location id="164046" latitude="60.48" longitude="-4.17" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="Offshore" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="K7"></Location>
<Location id="162027" latitude="49.08" longitude="-2.22" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="South Coast" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="Jersey Buoy"></Location>
<Location id="162090" latitude="53.21" longitude="-11.33" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="West Coast" obsSource="FM-18 BUOY" name="M1"></Location>
<Location id="162091" latitude="53.29" longitude="-5.26" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="West Coast" obsSource="FM-18 BUOY" name="M2"></Location>
<Location id="162092" latitude="51.13" longitude="-10.33" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="West Coast" obsSource="FM-18 BUOY" name="M3"></Location>
<Location id="162093" latitude="55.0" longitude="-10.0" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="West Coast" obsSource="FM-18 BUOY" name="M4"></Location>
<Location id="162094" latitude="51.41" longitude="-6.42" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="West Coast" obsSource="FM-18 BUOY" name="M5"></Location>
<Location id="162095" latitude="53.04" longitude="-15.53" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="Offshore" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="M6"></Location>
<Location id="162107" latitude="50.04" longitude="-6.04" obsLocationType="Light Vessel" obsRegion="South Coast" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="Seven Stones"></Location>
<Location id="162170" latitude="51.24" longitude="2.0" obsLocationType="Light Vessel" obsRegion="East and North Coasts" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="F3"></Location>
<Location id="162301" latitude="52.22" longitude="-4.42" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="West Coast" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="Aberporth"></Location>
<Location id="162442" latitude="49.0" longitude="-16.5" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="Offshore" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="Pap"></Location>
<Location id="162050" latitude="50.0" longitude="-4.4" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="South Coast" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="E1"></Location>
<Location id="162030" latitude="50.25" longitude="-4.2167" obsLocationType="Buoy" obsRegion="South Coast" obsSource="FM-13 SHIP" name="L4"></Location>
</Locations>

JSON

The JSON that follows shows the structure of a representative response to a call to the following URL, with a valid key:

http://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/val/wxmarineobs/all/json/sitelist?key=<APIkey>

{
"Locations": {
"Location": [
{
"id": "162103",
"latitude": "49.9167",
"longitude": "-2.883",
"obsLocationType": "Light Vessel",
"obsRegion": "South Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "Channel Lightship"
},
{
"id": "162305",
"latitude": "50.4167",
"longitude": "0.0",
"obsLocationType": "Light Vessel",
"obsRegion": "South Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "Greenwich Light Vessel"
},
{
"id": "162001",
"latitude": "45.23",
"longitude": "-5.0",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "Offshore",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "Gascogne"
},
{
"id": "162029",
"latitude": "48.72",
"longitude": "-12.43",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "Offshore",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "K1"
},
{
"id": "162081",
"latitude": "51.0",
"longitude": "-13.35",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "Offshore",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "K2"
},
{
"id": "162105",
"latitude": "55.42",
"longitude": "-12.57",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "West Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "K4"
},
{
"id": "162163",
"latitude": "47.55",
"longitude": "-8.47",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "Offshore",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "Brittany"
},
{
"id": "162303",
"latitude": "51.62",
"longitude": "-5.15",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "West Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "Turbot Bank"
},
{
"id": "162304",
"latitude": "51.15",
"longitude": "1.78",
"obsLocationType": "Light Vessel",
"obsRegion": "East and North Coasts",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "Sandettie"
},
{
"id": "164045",
"latitude": "59.07",
"longitude": "-11.42",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "West Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "K5"
},
{
"id": "164046",
"latitude": "60.48",
"longitude": "-4.17",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "Offshore",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "K7"
},
{
"id": "162027",
"latitude": "49.08",
"longitude": "-2.22",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "South Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "Jersey Buoy"
},
{
"id": "162090",
"latitude": "53.21",
"longitude": "-11.33",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "West Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-18 BUOY",
"name": "M1"
},
{
"id": "162091",
"latitude": "53.29",
"longitude": "-5.26",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "West Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-18 BUOY",
"name": "M2"
},
{
"id": "162092",
"latitude": "51.13",
"longitude": "-10.33",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "West Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-18 BUOY",
"name": "M3"
},
{
"id": "162093",
"latitude": "55.0",
"longitude": "-10.0",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "West Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-18 BUOY",
"name": "M4"
},
{
"id": "162094",
"latitude": "51.41",
"longitude": "-6.42",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "West Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-18 BUOY",
"name": "M5"
},
{
"id": "162095",
"latitude": "53.04",
"longitude": "-15.53",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "Offshore",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "M6"
},
{
"id": "162107",
"latitude": "50.04",
"longitude": "-6.04",
"obsLocationType": "Light Vessel",
"obsRegion": "South Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "Seven Stones"
},
{
"id": "162170",
"latitude": "51.24",
"longitude": "2.0",
"obsLocationType": "Light Vessel",
"obsRegion": "East and North Coasts",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "F3"
},
{
"id": "162301",
"latitude": "52.22",
"longitude": "-4.42",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "West Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "Aberporth"
},
{
"id": "162442",
"latitude": "49.0",
"longitude": "-16.5",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "Offshore",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "Pap"
},
{
"id": "162050",
"latitude": "50.0",
"longitude": "-4.4",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "South Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "E1"
},
{
"id": "162030",
"latitude": "50.25",
"longitude": "-4.2167",
"obsLocationType": "Buoy",
"obsRegion": "South Coast",
"obsSource": "FM-13 SHIP",
"name": "L4"
}
]
}
}

Anatomy of responses

The XML response produced by this web service contains a single Locations node, which in turn contains a set of Location nodes, defined as follows:

Location

A Location object defines a single site, and can contain some or all the following attributes.

id: This provides the ID of the site
latitude: This provides the latitude of the site
longitude: This provides the longitude of the site
name: This provides the name of the site
obsRegion:This provides the region of the site. e.g "South Coast", "Offshore", etc.
obsLocationType: This provides the location type of the site. e.g. "Light Vessel" or "Buoy"
obsSource: Where the data was sourced: "FM-13 SHIP" or "FM-18 BUOY"

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