Weather

Query OpenWeatherMap for current weather info using PHP

Mike Hudson

openweatherAs part of a wider project (more updates posted shortly) I am working with OpenWeatherMap’s API to obtain current and forecast weather information. This is ultimately going to be displayed on a ‘digital photo frame’ type setup.

OpenWeatherMap API offers results in both XML and JSON format. For my project I have chosen the JSON route, so using the below PHP I am grabbing the weather and outputting strings and an image based on current conditions.

This is very much a work in progress piece of code, and is part of a much larger tutorial which I will be posting up once complete. However, I thought the snippet below may prove useful for visitors just wanting a straight output from OpenWeatherMap.

NB: To use the API’s you’ll need to register for a free API ID, the one in the snippet below is just for example purposes.

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The Best Weather Apps For The IPad

Mike Hudson Leave a comment

After one of the longest cold snaps we have experienced in quite a while it seems to be getting increasingly difficult to guess what the British weather will do next. With the weather starting to warm up and the usual mix of showers and sunshine on the horizon, staying up to date with weather conditions will come in handy when planning what outfit to venture out it. To help you avoid getting caught in any heavy showers I’ve put together a brief collection of the best weather apps currently available for the iPad. You’ll be a professional weather forecaster before you can say cumulonimbus.

Accuweather for iPad

This weather app covers all of the U.K. and is very easy to use. The app looks good works well and even offers you advice on how the current weather might affect your body: “An excellent time for reparatory health”, being just one of the pearls of wisdom you will be provided with.

Sunsafe

This app is perfect for the rare occasions we are blessed with plentiful amounts of sunshine. The app calculates the safest period of time to stay in the sun according to all skin types, giving you a better impression of what is safe for your individual skin tone. It also provides the UV index for your specific location and boasts a good number of sunbathing tips and advice.

Weather Pro

This is Europe’s foremost weather forecast app, and features reports from more than two million locations in up to three-hourly intervals. Coming complete with high resolution maps and radar images you can be confident that any adverse weather conditions won’t take you by surprise.

Met Office Weather

The Met Office is a highly reliable source of information with the majority of major television networks relying on them for their weather forecasts. This app gives you five day forecasts, a UV forecast and a handy ‘feels-like’ temperature guide that will help definitely you make sensible clothing choices.

Swackett

Swackett is a different kind of weather app, communicating weather forecasts visually by using ‘peeps’ who always appear appropriately dressed for weather conditions.  When it’s cold outside peeps will appear dressed in winter hats or coats, and when it’s sunny the shorts and sunglasses will appear. A fun, fresh and useful weather app, Swackett converts complex weather data to easily understood, visual weather reports suitable for people of any age.

License: Creative Commons image source

Thanks to Les from The Snugg for this post. Les contributes regularly to a number of tech blogs and is a huge fan of mobile technology. Keep your iPad protected from the rain with the iPad keyboard cover at The Snugg’s Amazon store.

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