wttr.in API

wttr.in is a free console-oriented weather API with no key. Get weather as plain text, ASCII art, PNG or full JSON with one curl command. Live example included.

No API key requiredCORS enabledHTTPSCompletely free and open source. Self-hosting is supported for high-volume use.

Endpoint tested and returned HTTP 200 on 19 Aug 2026

What is the wttr.in API?

wttr.in is a free weather service designed to be called from the terminal with curl. It requires no API key and can return weather as formatted plain text, ASCII art, a PNG image or structured JSON, based purely on the URL you request.

wttr.in is the weather API that became famous because `curl wttr.in` just works. Requesting the bare hostname returns a colour-formatted three-day forecast rendered as text art, which makes it a favourite for shell prompts, tmux status bars and server MOTD banners.

For programmatic use, appending `?format=j1` switches it to a full JSON document containing current conditions and a three-day forecast in one response. That single-request completeness is its main advantage over APIs that make you assemble several calls.

Quick facts

Base URL: https://wttr.in
Authentication: No key. Please set a descriptive User-Agent and avoid hammering the service — it is run by a single maintainer.
Rate limit: Not formally published. Informal fair use; heavy scripted polling may be throttled by IP.
Pricing: Completely free and open source. Self-hosting is supported for high-volume use.
CORS: Enabled — callable directly from browser JavaScript
Official docs: Read the docs

How to use the wttr.in API

Every request below was executed against the live API on 19 Aug 2026, and the response shown is the real body it returned — not an illustration.

1. Full JSON weather for London

GET https://wttr.in/London?format=j1

curl

curl 'https://wttr.in/London?format=j1'

JavaScript (fetch)

const res = await fetch("https://wttr.in/London?format=j1");
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${res.status}`);
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);

Python (requests)

import requests

res = requests.get("https://wttr.in/London?format=j1", timeout=20)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json())

Response — HTTP 200 (truncated)

{
  "current_condition": [
    {
      "FeelsLikeC": "19",
      "FeelsLikeF": "66",
      "cloudcover": "99",
      "humidity": "46",
      "observation_time": "11:52 AM",
      "precipInches": "0.0",
      "precipMM": "0.1",
      "pressure": "1007",
      "pressureInches": "30",
      "temp_C": "21",
      "temp_F": "70",
      "uvIndex": "5",
      "visibility": "10",
      "visibilityMiles": "6",
      "weatherCode": "176",
      "weatherDesc": [
        {
          "value": "Patchy rain nearby"
        }
      ],
      "weatherIconUrl": [
        {
          "value": "https://cdn.worldweatheronline.com/images/wsymbols01_png_64/wsymbol_0009_light_rain_showers.png"
        }
      ],
      "winddir16Point": "WSW",
      "winddirDegree": "255",
      "windspeedKmph": "13",
      "windspeedMiles": "8"
    }
  ],
  "nearest_area": [
    {
      "areaName": [
        {
          "value": "London"
        }
      ],
      "country": [
        {
          "value": "United Kingdom"
        }
      ],
      "latitude": "51.517",
      "longitude": "-0.106",
      "population": "7421228",
      "region": [
        {
          "value": "City of London Greater London"
        }
      ],
      "weatherUrl": [
        {
          "value": "https://www.worldweatheronline.com/v2/weather.aspx?q=51.508,-0.121"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "request": [
    {
      "query": "Lat 51.51 and Lon -0.13",
      "type": "LatLon"
    }
  ],
  "weather": [
    {
      "astronomy": [
        {
          "moon_illumination": "39",
          "moon_phase": "Waxing Crescent",
          "moonrise": "

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`<location>`	path	Optional	City, airport code, IP, GPS coords or `~PlaceName`. Empty means geolocate by IP. `London`
`format`	string	Optional	`j1` for full JSON, `j2` for a compact variant, or a custom one-line template. `j1`
`lang`	string	Optional	Two-letter language code for text output. `de`
`u / m`	flag	Optional	Force USCS (`u`) or metric (`m`) units. `m`

Response fields

current_conditionarray: Single-element array with the current observation — temp_C, temp_F, humidity, weatherDesc and more.
weatherarray: Three days of forecast, each with `hourly` entries at three-hour intervals.
nearest_areaarray: The resolved location, useful for confirming the service understood your query.
requestarray: Echo of how your query was interpreted (query type and value).

What you can build with the wttr.in API

Show the weather in a terminal prompt, tmux bar or server login banner
Fetch a complete three-day forecast in a single request with format=j1
Generate a weather PNG for embedding in a README or status page
Quick weather lookups in shell scripts and CI jobs without key management

Common errors and how to fix them

404

The location string could not be resolved.

Fix: Try a larger nearby city, an airport code, or explicit `lat,lon` coordinates.

503

Upstream weather source temporarily unavailable, or you are being throttled.

Fix: Back off and retry after a minute; cache results rather than polling in a loop.

wttr.in API — frequently asked questions

How do I get JSON from wttr.in instead of ASCII art?

Append `?format=j1` to the URL. For example `curl 'https://wttr.in/London?format=j1'` returns a full JSON document with current conditions and a three-day forecast.

Does wttr.in need an API key?

No. It is completely key-free and open source. For heavy or commercial use the maintainer recommends self-hosting your own instance rather than polling the public one.

Can wttr.in detect my location automatically?

Yes. Requesting the bare hostname geolocates by your IP address. That is approximate and will be wrong behind a VPN, so pass an explicit location for anything user-facing.

What is the difference between format=j1 and format=j2?

Both return JSON; `j1` is the full document including hourly forecast arrays, while `j2` is a trimmed variant. Use `j1` unless response size is a concern.

Tools that pair with this API

JSON Formatter

Format, beautify and minify JSON online with 2-space, 4-space or tab indentation. Sort keys alphabetically and catch syntax errors instantly — free and private.

Unit Converter

Convert between units of length, weight, temperature, area, volume, speed, time and data storage instantly, with a swap button and common conversion tables.

Alternatives to wttr.in API

If wttr.in does not fit, these weather apis cover similar ground. Every one was called before publishing, and each links to its own reference page with a working curl command and the response it returned.

API	What it does	Auth	CORS	Last verified
Open-Meteo	Free weather forecast API with no API key and no signup. Hourly and daily forecasts worldwide, free for commercial use. Working curl example and live response.	No key	Yes	19 Aug 2026
Open-Meteo Air Quality	Free air quality API with no key: PM2.5, PM10, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, European and US AQI plus pollen forecasts worldwide. Tested curl example included.	No key	Yes	19 Aug 2026
Open-Meteo Geocoding	Free geocoding API with no key: convert a city or place name into latitude and longitude, with population, country and timezone. Tested curl example and live JSON.	No key	Yes	19 Aug 2026
MET Norway Locationforecast	Free Norwegian Meteorological Institute weather API with no key: hourly global forecasts with temperature, wind, pressure and precipitation. Tested example.	No key	Yes	20 Aug 2026
7Timer!	Free 7Timer! API with no key: astronomical seeing, transparency and cloud cover forecasts for stargazing, plus general weather. No signup. Tested example.	No key	No	20 Aug 2026
Bright Sky (DWD)	Free Bright Sky API with no key: current weather, hourly forecasts and historical records from Germany's national weather service, back to 2010. Tested.	No key	No	20 Aug 2026

All Weather APIs

wttr.in is an independent third-party service and is not affiliated with ByteTools or ByteVancer. Details on this page were verified on 19 Aug 2026; always check the official documentation before relying on this API in production, as terms and limits can change.