Get Started with the OpenWeatherMap APIs

In this lesson, we’ll learn to create an account and generate the API key that’ll enable us to use the OpenWeatherMap APIs. However, before we make our first call to the API, let’s go over some important security considerations that we need to be mindful of while using the OpenWeatherMap APIs. We’ll also look at what we should do in case we exhaust our API call limit.

• Whenever we make an API call, we must not send multiple requests to the API for a location in a 10-minute interval. This is due to the fact that the OpenWeather model only updates once every 10 minutes at max.
• While some API endpoints support requests using location names, it is advised to use geographical coordinates to get a precise geocoding search result. The Geocoding API provides the geographical coordinates for a given location.
• The permitted number of calls to the API depends on the subscription plan. In case our API call isn’t answered due to exceeding the maximum number of calls, we can repeat our request after 10 minutes. In such a scenario, we should not change the API request. This allows us to timely process it using the internal caching service.

Note: Read more about the various OpenWeatherMap subscription plans on offer.

For this course, we’ll use the free subscription plan. However, you may opt for one of the paid subscription plans in case the free plan doesn’t meet your weather data requirements.

Create an account

Follow the steps below to create an account:

Step 1: Head over to the OpenWeatherMap website and sign up to create an account.

Step 2: Fill out the account creation form, and click the “Create Account” button.

Step 3: For “Purpose,” select “Education/Science” and click the “Save” button. This will send an account confirmation email to your registered email address.

Step 4: Click the button given in the email to verify your email address. This will redirect you to a page with a confirmation message stating that your email has been verified.

Generate an API key

Next, let’s retrieve the API key that enables us to call the various endpoints of the OpenWeatherMap APIs.

Step 1: From the top menu bar, click your username next to the “For Business” label and select “My API keys” from the dropdown list. This will redirect you to a page where you’ll see an API key named “Default.”

Note: You can use the default key or generate a new one. The key name is not important. Moreover, the API key may take up to a couple of hours to activate.

Step 2: Copy the key and click the “Edit” button in the widget below.

Step 3: Enter the key in the textbox for APP_ID and click the “Save” button.

Step 4: Click the “Run” button to validate your APP_ID.