Weather Warnings API
Part of the Foreca Weather API: official severe weather warnings from 60+ countries in one common format, so your app can alert users when the weather turns dangerous.
Official warnings from government agencies in 60+ countries
28 warning types · yellow, orange, red and purple levels
Included in the Cirrus plan · free 30-day trial
Built for weather, travel and outdoor apps
Official warnings help your users act before the weather turns dangerous.
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Weather apps: show the official warning on the forecast screen, so users see the national weather service's warning right next to your forecast.
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Travel and mobility apps: warn travelers about storms, snow or floods along the way or at their destination before they set off.
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Outdoor and event apps: let hikers, sailors and event organizers know when a wind, thunderstorm or fire danger warning is issued for their area.
Weather Warnings API at a glance
The Cirrus plan includes Weather Warnings API. Explore the included features below.
Warning types
28 hazard types, from wind, rain, snow and thunderstorms to floods, fire danger and tsunamis, plus Other.
Warning levels
Yellow, orange, red and purple, plus very minor notices.
Coverage
Official warnings from 60+ countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania.
Sources
Warnings issued by national and regional government agencies, with the issuing agency named.
Time window
Start, end and issue time for every active warning.
Warning text
The agency's full warning text and a link to the original warning.
Icons
SVG icons for every warning type and level, for trial and paid plans.
Format
REST API, JSON point data. Query by coordinates or Foreca location ID.
How your app gets the data
Your app or server asks for the warnings at a location, by coordinates or a Foreca location ID, and gets every active warning there as JSON. Most agencies are checked every 5 minutes, so checking every 5 to 15 minutes keeps your users up to date.
What it works best for
Showing the official warning where your users are, as a colored banner on the forecast, a list of active warnings or a push notification from your own server. Your app passes on the national weather service's own message, with the agency named.
Combine with weather maps
Show the radar and lightning layers next to the warning, so your users can see the storm the warning is about and where it's heading.
One format for warnings from 60+ countries
Every national weather service issues warnings its own way, with its own data format, warning categories and color scale. Foreca collects the warnings from each agency and turns them into one format with common warning types and significance levels, so your app reads a warning from the US the same way as one from Germany or Australia. Instead of building and maintaining a separate integration for each country, you connect to one API.
What the warning levels mean
Every warning carries one of these levels, the same in every country, so your app can use one color scheme everywhere.
Warning levels
| Level | Code | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Y | Potentially dangerous, but not unusual. |
| Orange | O | Dangerous. Unusual phenomena. |
| Red | R | Very dangerous. Exceptionally intense phenomena. |
| Purple | P | Emergency. The highest level, used by a few national services above red. |
| Not applicable | NP | Very minor, with no significance by nature. |
Weather Warnings API FAQ
Do I have to show where a warning comes from?
Yes. Show the issuing agency, which comes with each warning, next to the warning in your app. Some warnings also include a link to MeteoAlarm, which must be shown as well. The Weather Warnings documentation has the details.
What does the API return when there are no warnings?
An empty list. For a location outside the covered countries, the API returns HTTP 404 with 'available': false, so your app can tell 'no warnings' apart from 'no coverage'.
Which language is the warning text in?
In the languages the issuing agency publishes. Iceland, for example, publishes in English and Icelandic, Brazil only in Portuguese. The warning name, such as 'Fog', is always in English, so you can show it in any app. There is no language parameter.
Can I get warnings that start later than tomorrow?
Yes. By default, the API returns warnings that are active or start within the next 24 hours. Add future=1 to your request to include warnings that start later.
Can the API send push notifications?
No. Your server asks for the warnings at the locations your users follow and sends the notification when a new warning appears.
Does the API include warning area polygons?
No. Weather Warnings API gives the warnings for a location as point data, without area boundaries. Warning area polygons are available separately as GeoJSON files, so contact us if you need them. Foreca My API portal includes a GeoJSON coverage map that shows where warnings are available. For radar and lightning layers, use Weather Maps, included in the Stratus plan and higher plans.
Start building with weather warnings
Endpoints, parameters and example responses are in the Weather Warnings documentation. Radar and lightning layers are in the weather maps documentation.
Try it first: the 30-day free trial includes Weather Warnings, with up to 2,000 requests a day and no credit card.