Using the Hong Kong Observatory Open Data API for Weather Reports (2025/03/01)

Summary

This collection of pages provides information about accessing and utilizing the Hong Kong Observatory's Open Data API to extract real-time weather data for Hong Kong, including temperature, humidity, precipitation, and wind speed. The content spans a blog tutorial and a government data portal reference for the weather API.

Key Information About the HK Observatory API

Overview

• The Hong Kong Observatory is a national astronomical observatory that provides weather forecasts and maintains both optical and radio telescopes

• The Weather Report API allows public access to live weather data in Hong Kong

• Data is sourced from the Hong Kong Observatory and provided through DATA.GOV.HK

• Weather information is updated hourly, providing current conditions in Hong Kong

Available Data

• The API provides rich weather data including:

• Current weather reports

• Weather warnings

• Fire alerts

• Storm tracking

• Wind speed measurements

• Temperature

• Humidity

• Precipitation

Data Formats

• Multiple formats are available:

• RSS feeds (in English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese)

• JSON files (in English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese)

• Spatial Data Format (API)

How to Access the API

Through FabriXAPI (as detailed in the blog)

1. Sign up for a developer account on the FabriXAPI portal

2. Subscribe to the Weather Report API

3. Obtain an API key from the Developer Admin Portal

4. Use the API endpoints with parameters for dataType and language

5. Access real-time weather data in JSON format

Through DATA.GOV.HK (as shown on the government portal)

• Direct access to various data resources is available on the DATA.GOV.HK website

• The site offers both downloadable formats and API access

• Documentation is available at the Hong Kong Observatory's API documentation page

Practical Applications

The Weather Report API can be leveraged for: - Improving supply chain management - Travel planning - Enhancing demand forecasting (the blog explains how weather impacts consumer behavior) - Supporting business operations by anticipating weather-dependent conditions

Documentation Resources

• Full documentation is available in the HKO Open Data API Documentation PDF

• Additional resources are available on the DATA.GOV.HK platform

This API solution provides developers with a reliable method to integrate real-time Hong Kong weather data into applications and services with regular updates.