Weather Maps API

⚠️ Service Transition Notice

This API is part of our service transition throughout 2025.

For complete details about changes and timeline, please see our main API documentation and API Transition FAQ.


Thank you for using Rain Viewer’s Weather Maps API. We appreciate your understanding as we focus our efforts on delivering the best precipitation prediction through our consumer applications.


URL

https://api.rainviewer.com/public/weather-maps.json

Purpose and Description

Contains the past (2 hours) and forecast (30 minutes) weather radar data and the past infrared satellite data (2 hours). Suitable to display in the applications, on the websites, or in any other mapping software. It can also be used as a source for the weather API.

Note: Some features will be phased out according to the timeline above.

Database File Example

Here is an example of the weather maps API file with two frames for each data section. The data inside the example is out of date and cannot be used in real queries. To get actual data, please open the API file directly.

{
  "version": "2.0",
  "generated": 1609402525,
  "host": "https://tilecache.rainviewer.com",
  "radar": {
    "past": [
      {
        "time": 1609401600,
        "path": "/v2/radar/1609401600"
      },
      {
        "time": 1609402200,
        "path": "/v2/radar/1609402200"
      }
    ],
    "nowcast": [
      {
        "time": 1609402800,
        "path": "/v2/radar/nowcast_6b3c5a659cf4"
      },
      {
        "time": 1609403400,
        "path": "/v2/radar/nowcast_dd3474d83b20"
      }
    ]
  },
  "satellite": {
    "infrared": [
      {
        "time": 1609401600,
        "path": "/v2/satellite/0680143a9470"
      },
      {
        "time": 1609402200,
        "path": "/v2/satellite/ba88bf38ac55"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Root Object

keyDescriptionExample
versionAPI Version.
Values: String(8)
Status: Available
“2.0.1”
generatedUnix timestamp date (UTC) when this API file was generated. Useful for checking for updates.
Values: Int(8)
Status: Available
1609402525
hostHost and protocol for the images.
Values: String(255)
Status: Available
https://tilecache.rainviewer.com
radarWeather radar maps.
Values: Radar object
Status: Partial - see below
 
satelliteSatellite maps.
Values: Satellite object
Status: ⚠️ Until Dec 31, 2025
 

Radar Object

keyDescriptionExample
pastPast weather radar frames. 2 hours, with 10-minute steps.
Values: Array(Frame Object)
Status: Available
 
nowcastFuture weather radar frames. 30 minutes or 60 minutes for Gold+ and Platinum API Patrons.
Values: Array(Frame Object)
Status: ⚠️ Until Jan 01, 2026
 

Satellite Object

keyDescriptionExample
infraredPast 2 hours of the infrared satellite data (channel 13) from the available satellites.
Values: Array(Frame Object)
Status: ⚠️ Until Dec 31, 2025
 

Frame Object

keyDescriptionExample
timeMap frame generation data in UNIX timestamp format (UTC). The map frame typically contains the images (radar, satellite) from different times, so this is not the time of the data rather than frame generation time.
Values: Int(8)
1609401600
pathBase path for the images of that frame. For information on its usage, refer to the next How to use host and path information section of this page
Values: String(255)
/v2/satellite/0680143a9470

How to use host and path information

You should use the host and path data from the API as a part of the URL. All available URLs and their parameters are described below.

Each url starts with {host}, where:

URLDescription
{path}/{size}/{z}/{x}/{y}/{color}/{options}.pngRadar data: displays one tile with the composite radar reflectivity data, with specified size, color scheme, and additional options.
Status: Available (max zoom 9 from Aug 1)
{path}/{size}/{z}/{lat}/{lon}/{color}/{options}.pngRadar data: same as the link above, but with the center at specified coordinates (EPSG:4326) with desired zoom size. Great for widgets
Status: Available (max zoom 9 from Aug 1)
{path}/{big_size}/{color}/{options}.pngComposite image with radar reflectivity for the entire world. Generates slowly, up to 10 seconds per image loads. Cannot be smoothed. IMPORTANT: color scheme and the snow mask for satellite data should always be “0”.
Status: Available

Important limitations:

Weather Radar Coverage

Additionally, one more product is available: the weather radar coverage mask. This mask shows where is weather radar coverage available (transparent areas) and where is not (black areas). We don’t update this mask often. The links are the same as for radar and satellite products, but without options and color scheme.

URLDescription
/v2/coverage/0/{size}/{z}/{x}/{y}/0/0_0.pngCoverage tile: where radar data is available (transparent areas) and where is not (black areas).
Status: Available (max zoom 9 from Aug 1)
/v2/coverage/0/{size}/{z}/{lat}/{lon}/0/0_0.pngCoverage data as above but for specified center coordinates (latitude, longitude).
Status: Available (max zoom 9 from Aug 1)
/v2/coverage/0/{big_size}/0/0_0.pngComposite coverage tile for the entire world at once. Generates slowly.
Status: Available
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