Weather APIs
Display current weather, forecasts, and weather alerts using WeatherKit or third-party services like OpenWeather.Available Options
| Service | Cost | Ease of Setup | Data Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| WeatherKit | Free (with limits) | Easy | Excellent |
| OpenWeather | Free tier available | Medium | Good |
WeatherKit (Apple)
Apple’s native weather service. Recommended for iOS apps.Pros
- Built into iOS (no external SDK)
- High-quality data (powered by Apple Weather)
- Privacy-focused
- Free tier: 500K calls/month
Cons
- Requires Apple Developer account
- iOS 16+ only
- Must enable capability in Xcode
WeatherKit Setup
WeatherKit Data
Current Weather
Forecast
Hourly
OpenWeather API
Alternative weather service with more customization options.Setup
Create account
Go to openweathermap.org and sign up
Free Tier
- 1,000 calls per day
- Current weather
- 5-day forecast
- Geocoding
OpenWeather Data
Current Weather
Forecast
Building Weather UI
Current Weather Card
Forecast List
Weather Details
Dynamic UI Based on Weather
Background Changes
Weather Animations
Location-Based Weather
Current Location
Search Location
Saved Locations
Weather Alerts
With WeatherKit
Alert Types
- Severe storms
- Heat warnings
- Flood alerts
- Air quality alerts
- Winter weather
Caching Weather Data
Weather doesn’t change every second. Cache to reduce API calls:Error Handling
Common Issues
| Issue | User Message |
|---|---|
| No location | ”Enable location to see weather” |
| API error | ”Unable to load weather” |
| No network | ”Check your internet connection” |
Graceful Degradation
WeatherKit vs OpenWeather
| Feature | WeatherKit | OpenWeather |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Easiest | Medium |
| Cost | Free 500K/mo | Free 1K/day |
| Data source | Apple | OpenWeather |
| Alerts | Yes | Paid tier |
| Historical | No | Paid tier |
| iOS version | 16+ | Any |
Recommendation
- Most apps: Use WeatherKit
- iOS 15 support needed: Use OpenWeather
- Historical data needed: Use OpenWeather paid tier
Testing Weather
In Simulator
Set Simulator location to test different conditions:- Features → Location → Custom Location