Feature Types
Lightning
| Name | Description | Region | Points/Areas | Update Frequency | Time Available | Time Filtering Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIGHTNING_STROKES | Detected lightning strokes, including stroke attributes. | Global | Points | Continuous | Last 72 hours | Yes, Defaults to last 15 min |
| LIGHTNING_DENSITY | Lightning stroke counts for 10km grids. Ground strokes only. | Global | Areas | Continuous | Last 15 minutes | No, not applicable |
Storm Corridors
| Name | Description | Region | Points/Areas | Update Frequency | Time Available | Time Filtering Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STORM_CORRIDORS_ CURRENT_30MIN | Currently projected paths of storm cells capable of producing tornados, large hail, damaging winds or heavy rain over next 30 minutes, based on United States radar. | US | Areas | 5 minutes | Last 72 hours | No, not applicable |
| STORM_CORRIDORS_ HISTORICAL_30MIN | Previously projected paths of storm cells capable of producing tornados, large hail, damaging winds or heavy rain over next 30 minutes, based on United States radar. | US | Areas | 5 minutes | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| STORM_CORRIDORS_ CURRENT_5MIN | Currently identified areas with storm cells capable of producing tornados, large hail, damaging winds or heavy rain over next 30 minutes, based on United States radar. | US | Areas | 5 minutes | Last 72 hours | No, not applicable |
| STORM_CORRIDORS_ HISTORICAL_5MIN | Previously identified areas with storm cells capable of producing tornados, large hail, damaging winds or heavy rain over next 30 minutes, based on United States radar. | US | Areas | 5 minutes | Last 72 hours | Yes |
Weather Station Observations
| Name | Description | Region | Points/Areas | Update Frequency | Time Available | Time Filtering Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFCOBSWIND_KTS_ OBSERVED | Wind Speed and direction with gusts in Knots from surface observations | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| SFCOBSWIND_MPH_ OBSERVED | Wind Speed and direction with gusts in Miles Per Hour from surface observations | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| SFCOBSWIND_KPH_ OBSERVED | Wind Speed and direction with gusts in Kilometers/Hour from surface observations | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| SFCOBSWIND_MPS_ OBSERVED | Wind Speed and direction with gusts in Meters Per Second from surface observations | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| TEMPERATURE_F_ OBSERVED | Temperatures in Fahrenheit from observations | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| TEMPERATURE_C_ OBSERVED | Temperatures in Celsius from observations | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| DEWPOINT_F_ OBSERVED | Dew Point in Fahrenheit from observations | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| DEWPOINT_C_ OBSERVED | Dew Point in Celsius from observations | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| HUMIDITY_ OBSERVED | Relative Humidity from observations | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| FEELSLIKETEMP_F_ OBSERVED | Feels Like Temperature in Fahrenheit from observations; combines heat index and wind chill. | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| FEELSLIKETEMP_C_ OBSERVED | Feels Like Temperature in Celsius from observations; combines heat index and wind chill. | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| SFCVIS_MI_OBSERVED | Visibility in Miles from surface observations | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| SFCVIS_KM_OBSERVED | Visibility in Kilometers from surface observations | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| SFCVIS_M_OBSERVED | Visibility in Meters from surface observations | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| WEATHER_CONDITION | Prevalent weather condition (raining, cloudy, partly sunny, high winds, etc.) | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| CURRENT_OBSERVATIONS | Most recent surface weather observations (temperature, windspeed, humidity, and all other observations), in both English and metric units | Global | Points | Usually hourly | Last 2 hours | No. Last 2 hours |
Severe Weather Bulletins
| Name | Description | Region | Points/Areas | Update Frequency | Time Available | Time Filtering Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NWS_BULLETINS_COUNTY_ACTIVE | Currently active National Weather Service warnings, watches and advisories for counties and marine zones | US | Areas | Continuous | Last 72 hours | No |
| NWS_BULLETINS_COUNTY | Active and expired National Weather Service warnings, watches and advisories for counties and marine zones | US | Areas | Continuous | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| NWS_BULLETINS_AMI_ACTIVE | Currently active National Weather Service warnings and bulletins for severe thunderstorms and flooding for areas most likely impacted | US | Areas | Continuous | Last 72 hours | No |
| NWS_BULLETINS_AMI | Active and expired National Weather Service warnings and bulletins for severe thunderstorms and flooding for areas most likely impacted | US | Areas | Continuous | Last 72 hours | Yes |
| METEOALARMS_ACTIVE | MeteoAlarm severe weather bulletins for today and tomorrow (Europe only), that are active for today or tomorrow | Europe | Areas | Continuous | Last 72 hours | No |
| METEOALARMS | Active and expired MeteoAlarm severe weather bulletins for today and tomorrow | Europe | Areas | Continuous | Last 72 hours | Yes |
Local Observer Storm Reports
| Name | Description | Region | Points/Areas | Update Frequency | Time Available | Time Filtering Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STORM_REPORTS | Storm damage reports as reported by local emergency management officials. | US | Points | Continuous | Last 72 hours | Yes |
Tropical Storm (Hurricane/Typhoon) Forecasts
| Name | Description | Region | Points/Areas | Update Frequency | Time Available | Time Filtering Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TROP_ALL_MODEL_ TRACKS_FCST | Forecasted track from all available weather models, for 5 days, for all active storms | Global | Lines | 4x/Day | Current | No |
| TROP_TRACK_PROB_ FCST | Probability of deviation from the forecasted official storm track, for 5 days, for all active storms | Global | Areas | 4x/Day | Current | No |
| TROP_OFFICIAL_TRACK_FCST | Forecasted storm track and category for 5 days, and past positions, of all active storms | Global | Points | 4x/Day | Current | No |
| TROP_WINDSPEED_KTS_FCST | Forecasted maximum wind speed, in knots per hour, for 5 days, for all active storms | Global | Areas | 4x/Day | Current | No |
| TROP_WINDSPEED_KPH_FCST | Forecasted maximum wind speed, in kilometers per hour, for 5 days, for all active storms | Global | Areas | 4x/Day | Current | No |
| TROP_WINDSPEED_MPH_FCST | Forecasted maximum wind speed, in miles per hour, for 5 days, for all active storms | Global | Areas | 4x/Day | Current | No |
| TROP_RAIN_IN_FCST | Forecasted rainfall accumulations, in inches, for 5 days, for all active storms | Global | Areas | 4x/Day | Current | No |
| TROP_RAIN_MM_FCST | Forecasted rainfall accumulations, in millimeters, for 5 days, for all active storms | Global | Areas | 4x/Day | Current | No |
| TROP_WAVE_HEIGHT_ FT_FCST | Forecasted maximum wave heights, in feet, for 5 days, for all active storms | Global | Areas | 4x/Day | Current | No |
| TROP_WAVE_HEIGHT_ M_FCST | Forecasted maximum wave heights, in meters, for 5 days, for all active storms | Global | Areas | 4x/Day | Current | No |
| TROP_STORM_SURGE_ FT_FCST | Forecasted maximum storm surge, in feet, for 5 days, for all active storms | Global | Areas | 4x/Day | Current | No |
| TROP_STORM_SURGE_M_FCST | Forecasted maximum storm surge, in meters, for 5 days, for all active storms | Global | Areas | 4x/Day | Current | No |
Attribute Descriptions
This section describes the data parameters, the attributes returned for each feature type. Every feature type returns latitude/longitude information (point, line or area), and therefore that is not listed here.
Lightning
| Name | Attributes and their Description |
|---|---|
| LIGHTNING_STROKES | Cloud_to_cloud: t(true), f(false – cloud to ground instead) Valid_utc: Day/ and time of strike, to 6 decimal places/millionth of a second. Polarity_and_amplitude: Negative indicates negative polarity; no sign is positive. Amplitude is the electrical current in kA.heightcloudtocloud: The height of the cloud strike above the surface (meters). Most areas around the world will not have this parameter.error_ellipse_bearing: Error ellipse angle as a counter-clockwise bearing from due east.error_ellipse_major_axis: Error ellipse Semi-Major axis length (meters).error_ellipse_minor_axis: Error ellipse Semi-Minor axis length (meters). |
| LIGHTNING_DENSITY | Id: ID generated for each calculated density grid Validtime: UTC day/time of requested density calculation Strikes: Count of ground strokes in the grid |
Storm Corridors
| Name | Attributes and their Description |
|---|---|
| STORM_CORRIDORS_CURRENT_30MIN |
Scanned: UTC day/time of radar scan
Nexrad_site_ID: Radar site identifier Storm_id: ID for the storm corridor. Pair it with the Nexrad_site_ID Maxdbz: Height of the maximum reflectivity in the storm Maxheight: Height of storm in feet Storm_activity:
Compassdirection_to: NE, E etc. |
| STORM_CORRIDORS_HISTORICAL_30MIn | Same as previous |
| STORM_CORRIDORS_CURRENT_5MIN | Same as previous |
| STORM_CORRIDORS_HISTORICAL_5MIN | Same as previous |
Weather Station Observations
| Name | Attributes and their Description |
|---|---|
| SFCOBSWIND_KTS_OBSERVED | Stationid_alpha: 4 or 5 character weather station ID Displayname: Weather station name, usually a city or airport Winddirection: Wind direction, from, in degrees Compassdirection: Wind direction, from (S, SW, etc.) Windspeed: Sustained wind speed in knots Windgustspeed: Maximum instantaneous wind speed in 10 minute period prior to observation. Often NULL Windpeak_kts: If available, maximum instantaneous wind speed since last observation. Often NULL Windlabel: Values and text suitable for display. Timezone_abbreviation: CST, EST, etc. Observed: Actual time of report in local time Observed_utc: Actual time of report in UTC Valid: Time of report moved to top of the hour, in local time Valid_utc: Time of report moved to top of the hour, in UTC |
| SFCOBSWIND_MPH_OBSERVED | Same as previous All windspeed attributes are in miles per hour |
| SFCOBSWIND_KPH_OBSERVED | Same as previous All windspeed attributes are in kilometers per hour |
| SFCOBSWIND_MPS_OBSERVED | Same as previous All windspeed attributes are in meters per second |
| TEMPERATURE_F_OBSERVED | Valid: Time of report moved to top of the hour, in local time Valid_utc: Time of report moved to top of the hour, in UTC Observed: Actual time of report in local time Observed_utc: Actual time of report in UTC Timezone_abbreviation: CST, EST, etc. Stationid_alpha: 4 or 5 character weather station ID Displayname: Weather station name, usually a city or airport Temp_f: Temperature at time of report in degrees fahrenheit |
| TEMPERATURE_C_OBSERVED | Same as previous Temp_c: Temperature at time of report in degrees Celsius |
| DEWPOINT_F_OBSERVED | Same as previous Dewpoint_f: Dewpoint temperature in degrees fahrenheit |
| DEWPOINT_C_OBSERVED | Same as previous Dewpoint_c: Dewpoint temperature in degrees Celsius |
| HUMIDITY_OBSERVED | Same as previous Relativehumidity: Relative Humidity calculation (%) |
| FEELSLIKETEMP_F_OBSERVED | Same as previous Feelsliketemp_f: Feels Like Temperature in Fahrenheit from observations; combines heat index and wind chill. |
| FEELSLIKETEMP_C_OBSERVED | Same as previous Feelsliketemp_c: Feels Like Temperature in Celsius from observations; combines heat index and wind chill. |
| SFCVIS_MI_OBSERVED | Same as previous Visibility_miles: Surface visibility in miles |
| SFCVIS_KM_OBSERVED | Same as previous Visibility_km: Surface visibility in kilometers |
| SFCVIS_M_OBSERVED | Same as previous Visibility_meters: Surface visibility in meters |
| WEATHER_CONDITION | Same as previous Weathercode: Code for prevailing weather. See following table Weathercode_description: Sunny, Partly Cloudy, Rain Showers, etc. See following table |
| CURRENT_OBSERVATIONS | Stationid_alpha: 4 or 5 character weather station ID Displayname: Weather Station name, usually a city or airport Priority; Don’t use; will be removed. Inserted: Don’t use; will be removed. Valid: Time of report moved to top of the hour, in local time Valid_utc: Time of report moved to top of the hour, in UTC Observed: Actual time of report in local time Observed_utc: Actual time of report in UTC Timezone_abbreviation: CST, EST, etc. Temp_c: Temperature, Celsius Temp_f: Temperature, Fahrenheit Dewpoint_c: dewpoint Temperature, Celsius Dewpoint_f: dewpoint Temperature, Fahrenheit Feelsliketemp_c: Feels Like Temperature in Celsius from observations; combines heat index and wind chill. Feelsliketemp_f: Feels Like Temperature in Fahrenheit from observations; combines heat index and wind chill. Relativehumidity: Percent relative humidity Heatindex_c: Apparent heat, factoring humidity, in Celsius Heatindex_f: Apparent heat, factoring humidity, in Fahrenheit Windchilltemp_c: Wind chill temperature, Celsius Windchilltemp_f: Wind chill temperature, Fahrenheit Winddirection: Wind direction, from, in degrees Compassdirection: Wind direction, from (S, SW, etc.) Windspeed_mph: Sustained wind speed in miles per hour Windspeed_kph: Sustained wind speed in kilometers per hour Windspeed_kts: Sustained wind speed in knots per hour Windspeed_mps: Sustained wind speed in meters per second Windgustspeed_mph: Maximum instantaneous wind speed in miles per hour in 10 minute period prior to observation. Often NULL Windgustspeed_kph: Maximum instantaneous wind speed kilometers per hour in 10 minute period prior to observation. Often NULL Windgustspeed_kts: Maximum instantaneous wind speed in knots per hour 10 minute period prior to observation. Often NULL Windgustspeed_mps: Maximum instantaneous wind speed meters per second in 10 minute period prior to observation. Often NULL Windpeak_mph: If available, maximum instantaneous wind speed in miles per hour since last observation. Often NULL Windpeak_kph: If available, maximum instantaneous wind speed kilometers per hour since last observation. Often NULL Windpeak_kts: If available, maximum instantaneous wind speed knots per hour since last observation. Often NULL Windpeak_mps: If available, maximum instantaneous wind speed meters per second since last observation. Often NULL Windlabel _mph: Values and text suitable for display, in miles per hour Windlabel _kph: Values and text suitable for display, in kilometers per hour Windlabel _kts: Values and text suitable for display, in knots Windlabel _mps: Values and text suitable for display, in meters per second Visibility_miles: Surface visibility in miles Visibility_km: Surface visibility in kilometers Visibility_meters: Surface visibility in meters Weathercode: Code for prevailing weather; see following table. Weathercode_description: Sunny, Partly Cloudy, Rain Showers, etc. See following table. Sunrise: time of sunrise this day, in local time Sunset: time of sunset this day, in local time Daytime: 1 = reporting time is in daytime; 0= reporting time is nighttime |
Severe Weather Bulletins
| Name | Attributes and their Description |
|---|---|
| NWS_BULLETINS_COUNTY_ACTIVE | Issued: UTC time the bulletin was issued; it may be active after this time Expiration: UTC time the bulletin expires Issuingstation: NWS station issued Phenomena: Weather conditionSignificance: Advisory, watch, or warning Timezone abbreviation: CST, EST, etc Region: County or marine zone name Regiontype: County or Marine Zone Message: Full text of bulletin State: State or marine zone abbreviation Geographycode: FIPS code |
| NWS_BULLETINS_COUNTY | Same as previous |
| NWS_BULLETINS_AMI_ACTIVE | Same as NWS_BULLETINS_COUNTY feature types, except there are no region or regiontype attributes |
| NWS_BULLETINS_AMI | Same as previous |
| METEOALARMS_ACTIVE | Issued: UTC time the bulletin was issued; it may be active after this time Expiration: UTC time the bulletin expires Condition: Weather condition code Condition_label: Description of weather condition Awareness: significance level: 1, 2 or 3 Awareness_label: Very Dangerous, Dangerous or Potentially Dangerous Message: Text of bulletin Region: Region of country (or entire country for some countries) Country: 2 character abbreviation for country Timezone abbreviation: CEST, etc. Warning_day_utc: Day for which the bulletin is applicable |
| METEOALARMS | Same as previous |
Local Observer Storm Reports
| Name | Attributes and their Description |
|---|---|
| STORM_REPORTS | Issuingstation: 4 character NWS weather station identifier – nearest to report Station displayname: Name of weather station (city or airport) Observed: UTC time of event Eventtype_id: Weather event code Eventtypedescription: Weather event code description Citynearevent: City or locality near event Description: Text of report Eventsource: Who reported Stateofevent: 2 character state abbreviation Countyofevent: County name Magnitude: Precip amount, wind speed, etc., if applicable Timezone_abbreviation: CEST, etc. Issued_utc: Time NWS issued the report |
Tropical Storm (Hurricane/Typhoon) Forecasts
| Name | Attributes and their Description |
|---|---|
| TROP_ALL_MODEL_TRACKS_FCST | Atcfid: Tropical storm ID Tech: Weather model code Trktime: UTC weather model run time Name: Tropical storm name |
| TROP_TRACK_PROB_FCST | Atcfid: Tropical storm ID Name: Tropical storm name Band_probability: Percent probability storm will track into the area Valid_utc: Forecast issuance time |
| TROP_OFFICIAL_TRACK_FCST | Tech: TRAK = Past position; FCST: forecasted positions, every 6 hours Atcfid: Tropical storm ID Name: Tropical storm name Validtime: Forecast issuance time |
| TROP_WINDSPEED_KTS_FCST | Atcfid: Tropical storm ID Name: Tropical storm name Description: Tropical depression, tropical storm, or category 1-5 hurricane Valid_utc: Forecast issuance time Winds_kts: Forecasted wind speed category range, in knots |
| TROP_WINDSPEED_KPH_FCST | Atcfid: Tropical storm ID Name: Tropical storm name Description: Tropical depression, tropical storm, or category 1-5 hurricane Valid_utc: Forecast issuance timeWinds_kph: Forecasted wind speed category range, in kilometers per hour |
| TROP_WINDSPEED_MPH_FCST | Atcfid: Tropical storm ID Name: Tropical storm name Description: Tropical depression, tropical storm, or category 1-5 hurricane Valid_utc: Forecast issuance time Winds_mph: Forecasted wind speed category range, in miles per hour |
| TROP_RAIN_IN_FCST | Atcfid: Tropical storm ID Name: Tropical storm name Valid_utc: Forecast issuance time Rain_in: Forecasted rain accumulation (range) in inches |
| TROP_RAIN_MM_FCST | Atcfid: Tropical storm ID Name: Tropical storm name Valid_utc: Forecast issuance time Rain_mm: Forecasted rain accumulation (range) in millimeters |
| TROP_WAVE_HEIGHT_FT_FCST | Atcfid: Tropical storm ID Name: Tropical storm name Valid_utc: Forecast issuance time Wave_ft: Forecasted wave height (range) in feet |
| TROP_WAVE_HEIGHT_M_FCST | Atcfid: Tropical storm ID Name: Tropical storm name Valid_utc: Forecast issuance time Wave_m: Forecasted wave height (range) in meters |
| TROP_STORM_SURGE_FT_FCST | Atcfid: Tropical storm ID Name: Tropical storm name Valid_utc: Forecast issuance time surge_ft: Forecasted storm surge height (range) in feet |
| TROP_STORM_SURGE_M_FCST | Atcfid: Tropical storm ID Name: Tropical storm name Valid_utc: Forecast issuance time surge_m: Forecasted storm surge height (range) in meters |
Coverage Area Considerations
For several different reasons the content you request may not return information for the entire globe:
- Lightning is purchasable for different sized coverage areas and locations.
- The layer may be specific to a certain country, region, or extent; see the Region column of the Feature Type table.
- The package purchase: if you’ve purchased a regional package, the geographic extent of the available weather returned by requests is dictated by that subscription package.
Example: The US/Canada package provides content for the United States and Canada only, while the European package provides content for Europe only.