breezy-weather/docs/SOURCES.md

# Weather sources

This is a user-end guide to weather sources available in Breezy Weather. If you are a developer looking to add a new source in Breezy Weather, have a look at [contribute](../CONTRIBUTE.md).

**AccuWeather** is the most complete source, although you may not need so much completeness (not many people care about ceiling, for example).

**Open-Meteo** is the only free and open source weather source on this list, and probably also the most privacy-friendly. It is nearly as complete as **AccuWeather**, however lacks major features (short-term forecast accuracy, alerts, realtime precipitations and reverse geocoding).


## Accuracy

When deciding about which source you want to use, accuracy of data is probably the most important criteria.

Here are some suggestions based on various criteria or testimonies (you can suggest others in GitHub discussions):

| Country/Continent | Main source                                      | Air quality | Pollen     | Minutely     | Alerts       |
|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-------------|------------|--------------|--------------|
| Europe            |                                                  |             | Open-Meteo |              |              |
| United States     | [Forecast Advisor](https://forecastadvisor.com/) |             |            |              |              |
| France            | Météo-France                                     |             | Open-Meteo | Météo-France | Météo-France |
| Norway            | MET Norway                                       | MET Norway  | Open-Meteo | MET Norway   |              |


## Status

| Sources       | Open-Meteo | AccuWeather | MET Norway | OpenWeather   | Pirate Weather | Météo-France | China³ |
|---------------|------------|-------------|------------|---------------|----------------|--------------|--------|
| **API key**   | None       | Optional    | None       | Rate-limited¹ | Rate-limited¹  | Optional     | None   |
| **Countries** | Worldwide² | Worldwide²  | Worldwide² | Worldwide²    | Worldwide²     | Worldwide²   | China  |

Additional sources are available to configure but requires an API key. You can find them at the bottom of this page.

* ¹ Bundled API key is often rate-limited. You can configure your own API key, however OpenWeather asks for credit card information even if you only want to use the free-tier.
* ² Some features may not be available everywhere.
* ³ Aggregated data from Beijing Meteorological Service, ColorfulClouds (Caiyun) and CNEMC


## Main features

| Sources                       | Open-Meteo | AccuWeather | MET Norway | OpenWeather | Météo-France | China |
|-------------------------------|------------|-------------|------------|-------------|--------------|-------|
| **Daily (days)**              | 15         | 15          | ~10        | 7 or 8      | 14           | 15    |
| **Hourly (days)**             | 16         | 10          | ~10        | 2           | 15           | 1     |
| **Weather**                   | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ✅     |
| **Temperature**               | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ✅     |
| **Precipitation**             | ✅          | ✅ (RSI)     | ✅          | ✅ (RS)      | ✅ (RS)       | ❌     |
| **Precipitation probability** | ✅          | ✅ (TRSI)    | ✅ (T)      | ✅           | ✅ (RSI)      | Daily |
| **Wind**                      | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ✅     |
| **UV**                        | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ❌     |
| **Sun & Moon & Moon phase**   | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ✅     |

Note that no forecast above 7 days is reliable, so you should not decide based on the highest number of days available.


## Features that can be added from other sources

The following features, if not available from your selected source, can be added from another source.

| Sources                            | Open-Meteo | AccuWeather   | MET Norway    | OpenWeather | Météo-France | China    |
|------------------------------------|------------|---------------|---------------|-------------|--------------|----------|
| **Air quality**                    | ✅          | ✅             | Norway        | ✅           | ❌            | Current  |
| **Allergens**                      | Europe     | North America | ❌             | ❌           | ❌            | ❌        |
| **Precipitation in the next hour** | ✅²         | ✅             | Nordic area   | ✅           | France       | ✅        |
| **Alerts**                         | ❌          | ✅             | *In progress* | ✅¹          | ✅            | ✅        |
| **Normals**                        | Average¹   | ✅             | Average¹      | Average¹    | ✅            | Average¹ |

* ¹ List of available countries: https://openweathermap.org/api/push-weather-alerts#listsource
* ² Works best in Europe at the moment

Legend:

| Letter | Meaning      |
|--------|--------------|
| R      | Rain         |
| T      | Thunderstorm |
| S      | Snow         |
| I      | Ice          |


## Other weather data

| Sources                    | Open-Meteo | AccuWeather | MET Norway | OpenWeather | Météo-France | China   |
|----------------------------|------------|-------------|------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
| **Humidity**               | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | Current |
| **Dew point**              | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | Current |
| **Pressure**               | ✅          | Current     | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ❌       |
| **Cloud cover**            | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ❌       |
| **Visibility**             | ✅          | ✅           | ❌          | ✅           | ❌            | Current |
| **Ceiling**                | ❌          | ✅           | ❌          | ❌           | ❌            | ❌       |
| **Precipitation duration** | ❌          | ✅ (RSI)     | ❌          | ❌           | ❌            | ❌       |
| **Hours of sun**           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ✅       |

¹ Median from daily forecast


## Location

| Sources               | Open-Meteo | AccuWeather | MET Norway | OpenWeather | Météo-France | China |
|-----------------------|------------|-------------|------------|-------------|--------------|-------|
| **Search**            | ✅          | ✅           | Default    | Default     | Default      | ✅³    |
| **Reverse geocoding** | ❌²         | ✅           | ❌²         | ❌²          | ✅²           | ✅³    |

* ¹ Default means it will use the configured location search source in settings. By default, it is Open-Meteo.
* ² TimeZone is assumed to be the same as device
* ³ TimeZone is assumed to be China


# Additional sources with mandatory API key

## Main features

| Sources                         | Pirate Weather | HERE     |
|---------------------------------|----------------|----------|
| **Daily (days)**                | 8              | 6        |
| **Hourly (days)**               | 2              | 6        |
| **Weather**                     | ✅              | ✅        |
| **Temperature**                 | ✅              | ✅        |
| **Precipitation**               | ✅ (RS)         | ✅        |
| **Precipitation probability**   | ✅              | ✅        |
| **Wind**                        | ✅              | ✅        |
| **UV**                          | ✅              | ✅        |
| **Sun & Moon & Moon phase**     | ✅              | ✅        |

## Features that can be added from other sources

| Sources                            | Pirate Weather | HERE     |
|------------------------------------|----------------|----------|
| **Air quality**                    | ❌              | ❌        |
| **Allergens**                      | ❌              | ❌        |
| **Precipitation in the next hour** | ✅              | ❌        |
| **Alerts**                         | ✅              | US (NWS) |
| **Normals**                        | Average¹       | Average¹ |

¹ Median from daily forecast

## Other weather data

| Sources                         | Pirate Weather | HERE     |
|---------------------------------|----------------|----------|
| **Humidity**                    | ✅              | ✅        |
| **Dew point**                   | ✅              | ✅        |
| **Pressure**                    | ✅              | ✅        |
| **Cloud cover**                 | ✅              | ❌        |
| **Visibility**                  | Current        | ✅        |
| **Ceiling**                     | ❌              | ❌        |
| **Precipitation duration**      | ❌              | ❌        |
| **Hours of sun**                | ✅              | ✅        |
| **Search**                      | Default        | ✅        |
| **Reverse geocoding**           | ❌¹             | ✅        |

* ¹ TimeZone is assumed to be the same as device


# Combinable sources

| Sources                            | Open-Meteo | AccuWeather | MET Norway  | OpenWeather | Pirate Weather | Météo-France | ATMO AURA     |
|------------------------------------|------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|----------------|--------------|---------------|
| **Air quality**                    | ✅          | ❌           | Norway      | ✅           | ❌              | ❌            | France (AURA) |
| **Allergens**                      | ✅²         | ❌           | ❌           | ❌           | ❌              | ❌            | ❌             |
| **Precipitation in the next hour** | ✅³         | ✅           | Nordic area | ✅           | ✅              | France       | ❌             |
| **Alerts**                         | ❌          | ✅           | ❌           | ✅           | ✅              | France       | ❌             |
| **Normals**                        | ❌          | ❌           | ❌           | ❌           | ❌              | ✅⁴           | ❌             |

❌ means that it’s either not supported or doesn’t support longitude/latitude.

* ¹ Only supports NWS alerts, but has many duplicate issues, so not worth implementing
* ² Not restricted but currently only works in Europe
* ³ Works best in Europe at the moment
* ⁴ Implemented but it is not yet possible to change secondary normals source for a location from UI
-												Clean up SOURCES.md document + prefer source term over provider

											
										
										
											2023-07-22 23:26:54 +02:00
+								# Weather sources
 								This is a user-end guide to weather sources available in Breezy Weather. If you are a developer looking to add a new source in Breezy Weather, have a look at [contribute](../CONTRIBUTE.md).
-												Secondary weather source implementation almost complete

											
										
										
											2023-08-01 20:44:08 +02:00
+								**AccuWeather** is the most complete source, although you may not need so much completeness (not many people care about ceiling, for example).
-												Clean up SOURCES.md document + prefer source term over provider

											
										
										
											2023-07-22 23:26:54 +02:00
-												Secondary weather source implementation almost complete

											
										
										
											2023-08-01 20:44:08 +02:00
+								**Open-Meteo** is the only free and open source weather source on this list, and probably also the most privacy-friendly. It is nearly as complete as **AccuWeather**, however lacks major features (short-term forecast accuracy, alerts, realtime precipitations and reverse geocoding).
-												Clean up SOURCES.md document + prefer source term over provider

											
										
										
											2023-07-22 23:26:54 +02:00
-												Add more accuracy suggestions

											
										
										
											2023-07-31 22:21:41 +02:00
+								## Accuracy
 								When deciding about which source you want to use, accuracy of data is probably the most important criteria.
 								Here are some suggestions based on various criteria or testimonies (you can suggest others in GitHub discussions):
-												Update sources

											
										
										
											2023-08-25 18:53:26 +02:00
+								| Country/Continent | Main source                                      | Air quality | Pollen     | Minutely     | Alerts       |
 								|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-------------|------------|--------------|--------------|
 								| Europe            |                                                  |             | Open-Meteo |              |              |
 								| United States     | [Forecast Advisor](https://forecastadvisor.com/) |             |            |              |              |
 								| France            | Météo-France                                     |             | Open-Meteo | Météo-France | Météo-France |
 								| Norway            | MET Norway                                       | MET Norway  | Open-Meteo | MET Norway   |              |
-												Add more accuracy suggestions

											
										
										
											2023-07-31 22:21:41 +02:00
-												Clean up SOURCES.md document + prefer source term over provider

											
										
										
											2023-07-22 23:26:54 +02:00
 								## Status
-												Integrate new weather source

											
										
										
											2023-07-27 23:20:16 +02:00
+								| Sources       | Open-Meteo | AccuWeather | MET Norway | OpenWeather   | Pirate Weather | Météo-France | China³ |
 								|---------------|------------|-------------|------------|---------------|----------------|--------------|--------|
 								| **API key**   | None       | Optional    | None       | Rate-limited¹ | Rate-limited¹  | Optional     | None   |
 								| **Countries** | Worldwide² | Worldwide²  | Worldwide² | Worldwide²    | Worldwide²     | Worldwide²   | China  |
-												Clean up SOURCES.md document + prefer source term over provider

											
										
										
											2023-07-22 23:26:54 +02:00
-												Add more accuracy suggestions

											
										
										
											2023-07-31 22:21:41 +02:00
+								Additional sources are available to configure but requires an API key. You can find them at the bottom of this page.
-												Clean up SOURCES.md document + prefer source term over provider

											
										
										
											2023-07-22 23:26:54 +02:00
+								* ¹ Bundled API key is often rate-limited. You can configure your own API key, however OpenWeather asks for credit card information even if you only want to use the free-tier.
 								* ² Some features may not be available everywhere.
 								* ³ Aggregated data from Beijing Meteorological Service, ColorfulClouds (Caiyun) and CNEMC
 								## Main features
-												Update sources

											
										
										
											2023-08-25 18:53:26 +02:00
+								| Sources                       | Open-Meteo | AccuWeather | MET Norway | OpenWeather | Météo-France | China |
 								|-------------------------------|------------|-------------|------------|-------------|--------------|-------|
 								| **Daily (days)**              | 15         | 15          | ~10        | 7 or 8      | 14           | 15    |
 								| **Hourly (days)**             | 16         | 10          | ~10        | 2           | 15           | 1     |
 								| **Weather**                   | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ✅     |
 								| **Temperature**               | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ✅     |
 								| **Precipitation**             | ✅          | ✅ (RSI)     | ✅          | ✅ (RS)      | ✅ (RS)       | ❌     |
 								| **Precipitation probability** | ✅          | ✅ (TRSI)    | ✅ (T)      | ✅           | ✅ (RSI)      | Daily |
 								| **Wind**                      | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ✅     |
 								| **UV**                        | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ❌     |
 								| **Sun & Moon & Moon phase**   | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ✅     |
-												Secondary weather source implementation almost complete

											
										
										
											2023-08-01 20:44:08 +02:00
 								Note that no forecast above 7 days is reliable, so you should not decide based on the highest number of days available.
 								## Features that can be added from other sources
-												Update sources

											
										
										
											2023-08-25 18:53:26 +02:00
+								The following features, if not available from your selected source, can be added from another source.
-												Secondary weather source implementation almost complete

											
										
										
											2023-08-01 20:44:08 +02:00
-												Update sources

											
										
										
											2023-08-25 18:53:26 +02:00
+								| Sources                            | Open-Meteo | AccuWeather   | MET Norway    | OpenWeather | Météo-France | China    |
 								|------------------------------------|------------|---------------|---------------|-------------|--------------|----------|
 								| **Air quality**                    | ✅          | ✅             | Norway        | ✅           | ❌            | Current  |
 								| **Allergens**                      | Europe     | North America | ❌             | ❌           | ❌            | ❌        |
 								| **Precipitation in the next hour** | ✅²         | ✅             | Nordic area   | ✅           | France       | ✅        |
 								| **Alerts**                         | ❌          | ✅             | *In progress* | ✅¹          | ✅            | ✅        |
 								| **Normals**                        | Average¹   | ✅             | Average¹      | Average¹    | ✅            | Average¹ |
-												Clean up SOURCES.md document + prefer source term over provider

											
										
										
											2023-07-22 23:26:54 +02:00
 								* ¹ List of available countries: https://openweathermap.org/api/push-weather-alerts#listsource
-												[Open-Meteo] Add minutely support

											
										
										
											2023-08-23 20:38:32 +02:00
+								* ² Works best in Europe at the moment
-												Clean up SOURCES.md document + prefer source term over provider

											
										
										
											2023-07-22 23:26:54 +02:00
 								Legend:
 								| Letter | Meaning      |
 								|--------|--------------|
 								| R      | Rain         |
 								| T      | Thunderstorm |
 								| S      | Snow         |
 								| I      | Ice          |
 								## Other weather data
-												Update sources

											
										
										
											2023-08-25 18:53:26 +02:00
+								| Sources                    | Open-Meteo | AccuWeather | MET Norway | OpenWeather | Météo-France | China   |
 								|----------------------------|------------|-------------|------------|-------------|--------------|---------|
 								| **Humidity**               | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | Current |
 								| **Dew point**              | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | Current |
 								| **Pressure**               | ✅          | Current     | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ❌       |
 								| **Cloud cover**            | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ❌       |
 								| **Visibility**             | ✅          | ✅           | ❌          | ✅           | ❌            | Current |
 								| **Ceiling**                | ❌          | ✅           | ❌          | ❌           | ❌            | ❌       |
 								| **Precipitation duration** | ❌          | ✅ (RSI)     | ❌          | ❌           | ❌            | ❌       |
 								| **Hours of sun**           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅          | ✅           | ✅            | ✅       |
-												Fix #18 - Implement temperature normals

											
										
										
											2023-08-14 19:54:25 +02:00
 								¹ Median from daily forecast
-												Clean up SOURCES.md document + prefer source term over provider

											
										
										
											2023-07-22 23:26:54 +02:00
 								## Location
-												Update sources

											
										
										
											2023-08-25 18:53:26 +02:00
+								| Sources               | Open-Meteo | AccuWeather | MET Norway | OpenWeather | Météo-France | China |
 								|-----------------------|------------|-------------|------------|-------------|--------------|-------|
 								| **Search**            | ✅          | ✅           | Default    | Default     | Default      | ✅³    |
 								| **Reverse geocoding** | ❌²         | ✅           | ❌²         | ❌²          | ✅²           | ✅³    |
-												Clean up SOURCES.md document + prefer source term over provider

											
										
										
											2023-07-22 23:26:54 +02:00
-												IP.SB + GeoNames + complete 2ndary sources + Privacy policy
Fix #89 - Complete weather data from one provider with another
Fix #283 - Allow customize location search source + add GeoNames
Fix #249 - Add IP.SB as alternative location service
Add Privacy policy activity in About

											
										
										
											2023-08-02 20:49:37 +02:00
+								* ¹ Default means it will use the configured location search source in settings. By default, it is Open-Meteo.
-												Clean up SOURCES.md document + prefer source term over provider

											
										
										
											2023-07-22 23:26:54 +02:00
+								* ² TimeZone is assumed to be the same as device
-												IP.SB + GeoNames + complete 2ndary sources + Privacy policy
Fix #89 - Complete weather data from one provider with another
Fix #283 - Allow customize location search source + add GeoNames
Fix #249 - Add IP.SB as alternative location service
Add Privacy policy activity in About

											
										
										
											2023-08-02 20:49:37 +02:00
+								* ³ TimeZone is assumed to be China
-												Integrate new source

											
										
										
											2023-07-29 09:58:27 +02:00
 								# Additional sources with mandatory API key
-												Secondary weather source implementation almost complete

											
										
										
											2023-08-01 20:44:08 +02:00
+								## Main features
-												Update sources

											
										
										
											2023-08-25 18:53:26 +02:00
+								| Sources                         | Pirate Weather | HERE     |
 								|---------------------------------|----------------|----------|
 								| **Daily (days)**                | 8              | 6        |
 								| **Hourly (days)**               | 2              | 6        |
 								| **Weather**                     | ✅              | ✅        |
 								| **Temperature**                 | ✅              | ✅        |
 								| **Precipitation**               | ✅ (RS)         | ✅        |
 								| **Precipitation probability**   | ✅              | ✅        |
 								| **Wind**                        | ✅              | ✅        |
 								| **UV**                          | ✅              | ✅        |
 								| **Sun & Moon & Moon phase**     | ✅              | ✅        |
-												Secondary weather source implementation almost complete

											
										
										
											2023-08-01 20:44:08 +02:00
 								## Features that can be added from other sources
-												Update sources

											
										
										
											2023-08-25 18:53:26 +02:00
+								| Sources                            | Pirate Weather | HERE     |
 								|------------------------------------|----------------|----------|
 								| **Air quality**                    | ❌              | ❌        |
 								| **Allergens**                      | ❌              | ❌        |
 								| **Precipitation in the next hour** | ✅              | ❌        |
 								| **Alerts**                         | ✅              | US (NWS) |
-												Update docs

											
										
										
											2023-08-25 19:46:34 +02:00
+								| **Normals**                        | Average¹       | Average¹ |
 								¹ Median from daily forecast
-												Secondary weather source implementation almost complete

											
										
										
											2023-08-01 20:44:08 +02:00
 								## Other weather data
-												Update sources

											
										
										
											2023-08-25 18:53:26 +02:00
+								| Sources                         | Pirate Weather | HERE     |
 								|---------------------------------|----------------|----------|
 								| **Humidity**                    | ✅              | ✅        |
 								| **Dew point**                   | ✅              | ✅        |
 								| **Pressure**                    | ✅              | ✅        |
 								| **Cloud cover**                 | ✅              | ❌        |
 								| **Visibility**                  | Current        | ✅        |
 								| **Ceiling**                     | ❌              | ❌        |
 								| **Precipitation duration**      | ❌              | ❌        |
 								| **Hours of sun**                | ✅              | ✅        |
 								| **Search**                      | Default        | ✅        |
-												Update docs

											
										
										
											2023-08-25 19:46:34 +02:00
+								| **Reverse geocoding**           | ❌¹             | ✅        |
 								* ¹ TimeZone is assumed to be the same as device
-												Secondary weather source implementation almost complete

											
										
										
											2023-08-01 20:44:08 +02:00
 								# Combinable sources
-												Update sources

											
										
										
											2023-08-25 18:53:26 +02:00
+								| Sources                            | Open-Meteo | AccuWeather | MET Norway  | OpenWeather | Pirate Weather | Météo-France | ATMO AURA     |
 								|------------------------------------|------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|----------------|--------------|---------------|
 								| **Air quality**                    | ✅          | ❌           | Norway      | ✅           | ❌              | ❌            | France (AURA) |
 								| **Allergens**                      | ✅²         | ❌           | ❌           | ❌           | ❌              | ❌            | ❌             |
 								| **Precipitation in the next hour** | ✅³         | ✅           | Nordic area | ✅           | ✅              | France       | ❌             |
 								| **Alerts**                         | ❌          | ✅           | ❌           | ✅           | ✅              | France       | ❌             |
 								| **Normals**                        | ❌          | ❌           | ❌           | ❌           | ❌              | ✅⁴           | ❌             |
-												Secondary weather source implementation almost complete

											
										
										
											2023-08-01 20:44:08 +02:00
 								❌ means that it’s either not supported or doesn’t support longitude/latitude.
-												IP.SB + GeoNames + complete 2ndary sources + Privacy policy
Fix #89 - Complete weather data from one provider with another
Fix #283 - Allow customize location search source + add GeoNames
Fix #249 - Add IP.SB as alternative location service
Add Privacy policy activity in About

											
										
										
											2023-08-02 20:49:37 +02:00
+								* ¹ Only supports NWS alerts, but has many duplicate issues, so not worth implementing
-												Fix #18 - Implement temperature normals

											
										
										
											2023-08-14 19:54:25 +02:00
+								* ² Not restricted but currently only works in Europe
-												[Open-Meteo] Add minutely support

											
										
										
											2023-08-23 20:38:32 +02:00
+								* ³ Works best in Europe at the moment
 								* ⁴ Implemented but it is not yet possible to change secondary normals source for a location from UI