joeynyc Weather Information Fetcher
Fetches current weather data for any city using OpenWeatherMap API.
Dependencies
- curl or wget for HTTP requests
- OpenWeatherMap API key (free registration at openweathermap.org)
- Environment variable: OPENWEATHER_API_KEY
Installation
- Sign up for API key at https://openweathermap.org/api
- Set environment variable:
export OPENWEATHER_API_KEY=your_api_key - Ensure curl is installed:
which curl
Usage
- When user asks for weather information for a specific city
- Extract the city name from the request
- Make API call:
curl "http://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=CITY&appid=$OPENWEATHER_API_KEY&units=metric" - Parse the JSON response and format for user
- Handle errors gracefully if city not found or API unavailable
Examples
# Example API call
curl "http://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=London&appid=your_api_key&units=metric"
Expected response includes temperature, description, humidity, and pressure.
Error Handling
- No API key: Prompt user to set OPENWEATHER_API_KEY environment variable
- City not found: Return "City not found, please check spelling"
- API down: Fallback to generic message "Weather service temporarily unavailable"
- Network error: Retry once, then inform user of connection issue
Limitations
- Requires internet connection
- API has rate limits (1000 calls/day for free tier)
- Only supports current weather (not forecasts)
- City names must be in English
Troubleshooting
If you get "unauthorized" error:
- Verify API key is correct
- Check if key is activated (can take up to 10 minutes)
- Ensure environment variable is set properly