Lately, it feels like every news headline is about extreme weather events – from the oppressive heatwaves in Europe to the devastating floods in India. Crazy as it sounds, extreme weather can really take a toll on business, impacting the bottom line in more ways than one

In fact, up to 70% of organizations around the world have experienced unexpected extreme weather events that have had an effect on their overall profitability. From lightning flashes to weeks of heat and sudden floods, the climate of the world can disrupt the workings of various businesses, be it in terms of product delivery, demand forecasting, or managing the supply chain.

Companies can no longer afford to ignore the need to have access to accurate and timely weather data that enables timely decisions and efficient management of resources

For this reason, we’ve outlined the top 5 Weather APIs that can provide businesses with actionable insights into the ever-changing climate

But before we share our best 5 weather API picks for 2023, let’s walk through a few possible questions you may have regarding weather APIs.

What is a weather API?

A weather API is an Application Programming Interface that enables individuals, companies, and governments to access forecast, real-time & historical weather data. With this API, you can instantly get access to weather metrics like temperature, snowfall, wind speeds, and more.

In simple words, Weather APIs are like your very own personal meteorologists. All you have to do is feed these APIs with parameters like city and country, and they’ll give you real-time insights into the weather.

How to select a high-quality weather API?

1. Easy Integration

Integrating a weather API is not a difficult task, and in most cases, boils down to a few lines of code. Though ‘quick and easy’ will depend on the technical expertise and level of experience of the API provider.

Check out free trial offers and read customer reviews to get a better understanding of how easy the integration will be. At the end of the day, you want to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck, so be sure to test out the API and make sure it matches up to your expectations.

2. Coverage

When it comes to bringing relevance and value to your target audience with weather data, it’s paramount to ask yourself: Does the weather service cover your key needs?

Not only should the data be relevant to the particular needs of your target audience, but it also needs to be up-to-date and high-resolution. Is a simple daily forecast with temperature and rain readings sufficient, or do you need to work on more detailed recommendations, like what it ‘feels like’ outside with visualizations, to create a more user-friendly and engaging experience? Generally, more detailed weather data and visuals will be of greater value to your target audience.

**3. Quickness and Reliability
**

You require a weather API that will not only fulfill your needs perfectly but also be quick and reliable in its performance. So what to do?

Try before you buy is the strategy here. You can take the time to test the features of each service, compare their response times, and look into their uptime track record. Doing this research before you sign up for service will help ensure that you find the weather API that suits your needs and will not let you down!

4. Data Accuracy

When it comes to assessing the quality of your information sources, you shouldn’t settle for ‘second best’. A good weather API should provide reliable, accurate data supported by solid science and strong technology. It’s better to have no information than bad information.

So make sure you do your homework on the API provider so that you’ll be able to make an informed decision confidently.

5. Budget

Having figured out your needs and scope and narrowed down your list of suitable weather API providers, it’s now time to look at the cost factor. It’s natural to expect that paid options come with better features, uptime, capacity, and responsiveness as compared to free-of-cost API services. However, it is advisable to pick the premium options only when instances of API requests made by your app are huge.

6. Additional support

For businesses integrating Weather APIs, having access to a consultant on the technical product side can be extremely beneficial to ensure that your concerns are addressed and your problems are solved efficiently. It is also extremely important to have access to developer documentation, which can help users navigate the API with more ease and context.

**Here are the top 5 Weather APIs **-

1. Ambee

Ambee’s weather API is the ultimate source for accurate real-time weather data, historical weather data, and weather forecasts. We provide historical weather data for over 30+ years for every point on the globe– collected, validated, and processed for insights that will transform the way you make business and climate strategies.

We harness atmospheric and meteorological science techniques to develop Ambee’s cutting-edge weather API. Through rigorous research, advanced algorithms, and scientific validations, Ambee’s accurate weather data empowers you to make informed operational decisions. Ambee’s data is globally accepted and compliant with USEPA and NAB standards to ensure maximum credibility.

We provide reliable insights about the weather so you know exactly what’s going on – from the temperature to the dew point, humidity, and everything else from UV Index to wind speed, cloud cover, visibility, and ozone.

Here are some features of Ambee’s weather API:
* Get 48-hour data in seconds to support your decision-making
* Test and explore the API with ease using sample responses for different weather conditions
* Utilize detailed weather patterns with 2-day hourly history data and forecast features.
* From daily to hourly to minute-by-minute forecasts, Ambee provides the precision you require for your unique weather-dependent needs.
* Access a vast repository of over 30 years of historical weather data, available on demand.
* Get the data in the most flexible format, easily integrating weather information into your applications or services.

Format: Ambee’s weather API has predictable resource-oriented URLs, accepts form-encoded request bodies, returns JSON-encoded responses, and uses standard HTTP response code authentication.

Pricing: A free plan is always a great place to start, but for more tailored parameters, our enterprise plan can provide you with the right options to suit your business needs.

2. Tomorrow.io

Tomorrow.io’s Weather API is the ultimate resource for getting up-to-date and ultra-accurate forecasts and historical data. It provides accurate hyper-local forecasts up to 14 days ahead and even provides access to historical weather data covering over 20 years.

On top of that, its AI-backed prediction engine customizes future forecasts accordingly, rendering it an ideal platform for anyone with a frequent need for dependable weather information. And lastly, with its easy-to-integrate user interface and API playground, Tomorrow.io is a breeze to work with.

Format: The data is available in either XML or JSON format, and it’s good for both commercial and non-commercial purposes.

Pricing: Tomorrow.io’s free plan provides forecasts for the upcoming 5 days, while their enterprise plan goes even further – offering detailed 14-day forecasts.

3. OpenWeather

Up next is the OpenWeather. Their weather API sources data from both the past and the future – offering historical records for years and months prior, in addition to forecasting the climate for the next 30 days.

Their AI-driven numerical weather model is capable of estimating weather conditions with a 500m resolution. And they don’t do this alone; they use some of the global meteorologists, such as the Met Office, NOAA, and ECMWF, plus countless weather stations.

Format: Both JSON and XML data formats are supported by the Open
Weather API

Pricing: A free account offers up to 60 calls per minute and a maximum of 1,000 calls per day. Refer to the image given below to know more about their pricing.

4. AccuWeather

AccuWeather is one of the most identifiable names in the world of weather. From current forecasts to historical trends and international climate, their data offerings are comprehensive. However, their API is particularly popular for its imagery endpoints.

One important note – AccuWeather logo must be prominently placed on every software utilizing their services.

Format: Using RESTful protocols, data is both requested and provided in the formats of JSON and JSONP.

Pricing: You can benefit from up to 50 calls per day. After that, there are three distinct plans available, granting access to far-reaching and precise forecasts.

5. Weather Bit

Weather Bit API gives you access to worldwide weather data for both present and forecast conditions. The data is gathered from +47,000 live weather stations, as well as Doppler radar and meso-reanalyses. Additionally, it offers weather notifications for more than 30 nations, including Israel, the US, Canada, and EU members.

Data formats: Premium subscribers have access to JSON and HTTPS.

Pricing: The free plan grants you access to present weather conditions and seven-day forecasts free of charge. The paid plans start from $40 per month, which provides additional information, such as humidity and barometric pressure measurements.

Final thoughts

Considering the many options available, mastering the best fit for your project can be challenging. It all comes down to what you would want to achieve with the weather information. Do you need up-to-the-minute forecasts? Or do you prefer to have older historical data? All these features should be taken into account when you decide which weather API works best for your end product.

If you require weather data for your innovation, get in touch with us today or leave a comment below!