AccuWeather Go

General Information

  • The AccuWeather Go API provides subscribers access to location based weather data via a simple RESTful web interface.

  • Provides hyperlocal (1 kilometer or less), up-to-the-minute weather nowcasts, weather hazard assessments, and notifications along a route described as a sequence of waypoints.

  • Weather nowcasts, hazards, and notifications are predictive, meaning that AccuWeather Go returns the precise weather that the vehicle will encounter when it reaches each waypoint.

  • The AccuWeather Go API covers all regions of the planet except Antarctica and latitudes north of Greenland.

  • AccuWeather Go API includes two service levels which you will see referenced throughout this documentation. Basic provides an overview of an entire trip while premium provides detailed information about each waypoint.

 

Weather Hazards

The AccuWeather Go API generates a weather hazard assessment that consists of:

  • A detailed list of weather hazards affecting the waypoint and/or trip.
  • An aggregate hazard index for the waypoint and/or trip.

The aggregated hazard index for each waypoint might be used to paint each portion of a route according to how safe it is for the driver.

 

Weather Notifications

The AccuWeather Go API generates weather notifications for waypoints that experience an increase in intensity of a weather hazard. For example, if the vehicle is expected to begin experiencing heavy rain as it reaches a waypoint, a weather notification for heavy rain will be generated for that waypoint allowing the product to display a heavy rain notification before the driver reaches that waypoint. The trigger for when to display the notification for a waypoint is left up to the product developer and could be based, for example, on a fixed or selectable distance to the waypoint or based on a fixed or selectable time to the waypoint.

A waypoint may have no notifications or may have several, depending on the number of hazards (such as snow, wind, lightning, tornado, etc.) that are predicted to start or increase in intensity as the driver reaches the waypoint.

Each notification has an associated HazardIndex allowing the product to select which notification to display based on severity. For example, the product may only want to notify drivers for moderate to extreme hazards.

 

Sun Glare

A sun glare index (from 0 to 100) is provided for the premium service, which rates how blinding the sun is for the driver. If sun glare is determined to be a hazard as the vehicle passes a waypoint, then the Hazards/HazardIndex field for the waypoint (and trip) will be adjusted accordingly; the IconCode will show sun, the ShortPhrase will say "Sun Glare" and a safety hazard will be generated for both the waypoint and the trip.