OpenWeather delivers reliable, global weather data through structured APIs designed for straightforward integration. Access current conditions, forecasts, historical archives, and specialised datasets to support applications ranging from lightweight services to large-scale operational systems.
OpenWeather APIs overview
OpenWeather provides reliable, global weather data through structured, industry-standard APIs.
Our services support a wide range of applications, from lightweight integrations to large-scale data systems, delivering current conditions, forecasts, historical weather, and specialised datasets.
Access is immediate. Integration is straightforward. Pricing is transparent.
What data is available
OpenWeather APIs provide:
- Current weather conditions
- Minute-by-minute forecasts
- Hourly and daily forecasts
- Short-term and extended outlooks
- Government weather alerts
- 47+ years of historical observations
- Historical forecast archives
- Statistical climate data
- Air quality data
- Weather maps and geospatial layers
- Industry-focused APIs (Solar, Road Risk, Agromonitoring, and others)
Coverage is global, data is available for any coordinate worldwide.
All services are delivered via REST APIs with structured JSON responses suitable for integration into web, mobile, analytics, IoT, and enterprise environments.
Core API products
One Call API 3.0. A comprehensive weather endpoint for a specific location, combining current, forecast, historical data, and alerts within a single API call.
Forecast & Current Weather APIs. Short-term and extended forecasts with frequent updates.
Historical Weather APIs. 47+ years of hourly archive data, forecast history, and statistical datasets.
Weather Maps & Geospatial APIs. Layer-based weather maps, precipitation data, and visual datasets.
Detailed API documentation and integration guidance are available for all products.
Technology and data quality
OpenWeather OWHL™ model operates with:
- Ground weather stations and sensors
- Satellite systems
- Radar networks
- Global forecast models including GFS and ECMWF
Data updates are released every 10 minutes to ensure timely delivery.
Short-term forecasts demonstrate strong predictive performance. As with all atmospheric modelling, forecast uncertainty increases over longer time horizons.
Continuous model refinement and real-time data processing ensure consistent global coverage across both urban and remote regions.
How to start using Weather API
Getting started requires only a few steps:
- Create an OpenWeather account
- Select the API product appropriate for your needs on the APIs page
- Choose a subscription plan on the Pricing page
- Receive your API key instantly (no approval or onboarding process required)
- Integrate using the provided documentation
Free plans are available for evaluation and development.
Paid plans scale according to usage.
Licensing
OpenWeather self-service products are provided under the Open Database License (ODbL) framework. You may use the data to build applications, websites, dashboards, analytics tools, and commercial products.
The key difference under ODbL is whether your product is only showing results from OpenWeather data, or whether you are building a new dataset/API where the data is still essentially weather data derived from OpenWeather.
In other words: the “nature” of the data matters.
1) Displaying weather in your app or service (Produced Work)
If you use OpenWeather data to show weather information to end users, for example in an app, website, dashboard, or report, you are producing a Produced Work.
In this case, you are presenting outputs (maps, charts, forecasts, insights), not providing a database to others.
Main requirement: attribution to OpenWeather.
2) Building a weather dataset or API where the data is still “weather data” (Adapted Database)
If you store, restructure, combine, or enrich OpenWeather data and the result is still fundamentally weather data derived from OpenWeather, even if delivered through your own dataset, feed, or API, this may be considered an Adapted Database.
Examples include:
- Storing large volumes of OpenWeather data as a reusable dataset
- Restructuring the data into your own schema or database
- Combining OpenWeather data with other data and keeping it as a structured dataset
- Creating a weather API or data service backed by stored OpenWeather-derived data
Important: changing the format, schema, or adding calculations does not remove the origin of the data. If it still functions as weather data derived from OpenWeather, Adapted Database rules may apply.
If that adapted database (or a service giving access to it) is made available outside your organisation, share-alike conditions apply meaning the adapted database must be offered under the same ODbL terms.
Enterprise Solutions
For organisations that require:
- Contract-based licensing
- Custom commercial terms
- Procurement documentation
- Higher usage volumes
- API customisation or configuration
OpenWeather Enterprise services are available under separate commercial agreements.
Enterprise operates independently from self-service API subscriptions and is designed for corporate procurement frameworks.
Academic Initiatives
OpenWeather supports academic and research communities via non-profit Weather Foundation. Universities, research institutions, professors, and students can use OpenWeather data for:
- Scientific research
- Climate studies
- Environmental modelling
- Urban planning research
- Academic publications
- Student projects and theses
Weather data plays a critical role in global research, and we believe it should be accessible for scientific progress.
Academic usage is typically supported through:
- Special academic access options
- Educational discounts or dedicated plans (where applicable)
- Clear licensing under the open data framework
For larger institutional research projects, data redistribution, or long-term structured datasets, Enterprise arrangements may be required.