Weather API

What It Does

The Weather API provides current conditions, hourly forecasts (up to 5 days), and daily forecasts (up to 15 days) for any location. Returns temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed/direction, cloud cover, visibility, and UV index.

Unlike general weather services, this API is designed for location-specific applications where weather affects user experience or safety.

Music Use Case: Field Recording Conditions

Weather dramatically affects outdoor sound recording quality and character:

Pre-recording planning:

• Check wind speed before recording (>10 mph = wind noise issues)
• Avoid rain/precipitation (water on microphone = distortion)
• Monitor temperature for equipment limits (condensation, battery life)
• Plan for golden hour lighting + calm winds for video-audio projects

Sonic environment correlation:

• Temperature affects sound propagation (cold air = sharper high frequencies)
• Humidity dampens high frequencies (foggy days sound muffled)
• Wind direction determines which sounds reach your mic (highway noise, etc.)
• Precipitation creates rain/snow ambience (document weather in metadata)

Example: Tijuana Jazz Club Outdoor Patio Recording

json
{
  "date": "2025-11-15",
  "time": "20:00",
  "location": "Av. Revolución 1006",
  "weather": {
    "temperature": 18°C,
    "wind_speed": 5 mph,
    "humidity": 72%,
    "conditions": "Clear",
    "recording_quality": "Excellent - calm winds, dry conditions"
  }
}

Soundwalk route planning:

• Avoid routes exposed to high winds
• Plan indoor/outdoor alternation based on forecast
• Schedule walks during optimal weather windows

Environmental Research Use Case: Water Infrastructure Operations

Weather drives water and sewer system behavior:

Rainfall and sewer overflow:

• Track precipitation to predict combined sewer overflows (CSOs)
• Correlate heavy rain with water quality degradation
• Plan inspections after storm events (identify infrastructure weaknesses)

Example: Tijuana River Watershed Monitoring

Storm event: 2025-11-12
Rainfall: 1.2 inches in 3 hours
Impact: WWTP La Morita exceeded capacity at 14:30
CSO discharge: Tijuana River at border crossing
Water quality sampling: Next 48 hours critical

Temperature and water quality:

• High temps increase bacterial growth in stagnant water
• Cold temps reduce biological treatment effectiveness at WWTPs
• Track temperature trends for seasonal operational adjustments

Wind and aerial inspection:

• Drone surveys require <15 mph winds for stable footage
• Helicopter inspections need clear visibility (>5 miles)
• Plan aerial mapping during calm weather windows

UV index and outdoor work:

• Schedule long inspection days during lower UV periods
• Provide crew safety guidance for high UV days

How to Use It

Direct API Call (No MCP Tool Available)

Endpoint: https://weather.googleapis.com/v1/weather:lookup

Current conditions:

bash
curl "https://weather.googleapis.com/v1/weather:lookup?key=YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "location": {
      "latitude": 32.5332,
      "longitude": -117.0192
    }
  }'

Hourly forecast:

json
{
  "location": {"latitude": 32.5332, "longitude": -117.0192},
  "forecast": {
    "hourly": true,
    "hours": 48
  }
}

Daily forecast:

json
{
  "location": {"latitude": 32.5332, "longitude": -117.0192},
  "forecast": {
    "daily": true,
    "days": 7
  }
}

Response Structure

Current conditions:

json
{
  "temperature": {"value": 18, "unit": "C"},
  "humidity": 72,
  "windSpeed": {"value": 8, "unit": "km/h"},
  "windDirection": 270,
  "precipitation": {"value": 0, "unit": "mm"},
  "cloudCover": 25,
  "uvIndex": 3,
  "visibility": {"value": 16, "unit": "km"},
  "weatherCode": "partly_cloudy"
}

Weather codes: clear, partly_cloudy, cloudy, rain, heavy_rain, snow, fog, thunderstorm

How It Works

Data sources:

1. NOAA weather stations (US)
2. National meteorological services (international)
3. Weather radar networks
4. Satellite imagery
5. Numerical weather prediction models

Update frequency: Current conditions update every 15-30 minutes. Forecasts update every 6 hours.

Accuracy:

• Current conditions: Very accurate (direct measurements)
• Next 24 hours: ~90% accurate
• 3-5 days: ~75% accurate
• 7+ days: ~60% accurate (general trends only)

When to Use It

Music/Audio projects:

• Planning outdoor recording sessions
• Documenting sonic environment conditions
• Scheduling soundwalks and audio tours
• Video + audio production weather coordination

Environmental research:

• Predicting sewer overflow events
• Planning water quality sampling after storms
• Scheduling drone/aerial infrastructure inspections
• Crew safety planning (UV, temperature extremes)

Don't use it for:

• Long-range planning (>7 days = use daily forecast trends only)
• Hyperlocal microclimates (API gives general area conditions)
• Storm warnings (use official weather alerts instead)

Pro Tips

Wind is the enemy of outdoor recording: Anything over 10 mph requires windscreens. Over 20 mph, consider rescheduling.

Rain changes everything: Water infrastructure systems behave completely differently during and after storms. Plan sampling routes to capture these events.

Golden hour + calm winds = magic: The hour after sunrise and before sunset often has the calmest winds and best lighting for audio-video projects.

Check forecast the night before: Morning conditions often differ from afternoon. Plan recording/inspection times based on hourly forecast.

Temperature inversions trap pollution: Cold mornings with little wind can cause high pollution near water treatment plants. Cross-reference with Air Quality API.

Real-World Integration Example

Tijuana soundwalk planning:

javascript
// Pseudo-code workflow
locations = ["Tijuana Jazz Club", "Foro Nebraska", "Black Box"]

for each location:
  weather = getWeather(location.coords)
  air_quality = getAirQuality(location.coords)
  
  if weather.windSpeed < 10 AND weather.precipitation == 0 AND air_quality.uaqi < 100:
    mark_location_as("optimal_for_recording")
  else:
    suggest_indoor_alternative(location)

Related APIs

• Air Quality API - Pollution affects both hearing and breathing
• Pollen API - Combined respiratory health view
• Solar API - Solar radiation correlates with temperature
• Directions API - Weather-aware route planning

Resources

• Weather API Documentation↗
• Weather codes and their meanings
• Best practices for weather-aware application design