swissweather/references/api_info.md

MeteoSwiss API Reference

Official Swiss weather data from MeteoSwiss (Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology).

Data Sources

1. Current Weather Measurements (CSV)

URL: https://data.geo.admin.ch/ch.meteoschweiz.messwerte-aktuell/VQHA80.csv

Format: CSV with semicolon (;) delimiter
Update frequency: Every 10 minutes
Authentication: None required (public data)

Available fields:

• tre200s0 - Air temperature 2m (°C)
• rre150z0 - Precipitation (mm)
• sre000z0 - Sunshine duration (min)
• gre000z0 - Global radiation (W/m²)
• ure200s0 - Relative humidity (%)
• tde200s0 - Dew point (°C)
• dkl010z0 - Wind direction (°)
• fu3010z0 - Wind speed (km/h)
• fu3010z1 - Gust peak (km/h)
• prestas0 - Pressure station level (hPa)
• pp0qffs0 - Pressure sea level QFF (hPa)
• pp0qnhs0 - Pressure sea level QNH (hPa)

Notes:

• Missing values are marked with -
• Station codes are 3-letter abbreviations (e.g., BER, ZRH, RAG)
• Date format: YYYYMMDDHHMM (UTC)

2. Weather Forecast API

URL: https://app-prod-ws.meteoswiss-app.ch/v1/plzDetail?plz={postal_code}

Format: JSON
Required Header: User-Agent: android-31 ch.admin.meteoswiss-2160000
Authentication: None required

Parameters:

• plz - Swiss postal code (4-5 digits, zero-padded to 6 digits)

Response structure:

{
  "currentWeather": {
    "location": "Location Name",
    "temperature": 10.5,
    "icon": 2
  },
  "forecast": {
    "dayForecast": [
      {
        "date": "2026-01-15",
        "icon": 2,
        "temperatureMax": 12,
        "temperatureMin": 5,
        "precipitation": 0.5
      }
    ]
  }
}

Status: ⚠️ As of Jan 2026, this API may be unstable or changed. If it fails, use current weather CSV instead or check MeteoSwiss website for updated endpoints.

3. Weather Warnings

URL: Check MeteoSwiss app API or use Home Assistant integration
Format: JSON with warning levels and types

Warning levels:

• 0 - No danger
• 1 - No/minimal hazard
• 2 - Moderate hazard
• 3 - Significant hazard
• 4 - Severe hazard
• 5 - Very severe hazard

Warning types: Wind, Thunderstorms, Rain, Snow, Slippery roads, Frost, Thaw, Heat waves, Avalanches, Earthquakes, Forest fires, Flood, Drought

Weather Icon Codes

MeteoSwiss uses numeric codes for weather conditions:

Day conditions (1-50):

• 1 = Sunny
• 2-4 = Partly cloudy
• 5, 35 = Cloudy
• 6, 9, 14, 17 = Rainy
• 8, 11, 16, 19, 22 = Snowy
• 7, 10, 15, 18, 21 = Rain/Snow mix
• 12 = Thunderstorm
• 13, 23-25 = Thunderstorm with rain
• 26 = Windy
• 27-28 = Fog

Night conditions (101-150):

• 101 = Clear night
• 102 = Partly cloudy night
• Similar pattern as day codes +100

Alternative Data Sources

If MeteoSwiss API is unavailable:

1. Public CSV data: Always available at data.geo.admin.ch
2. MeteoSwiss website: https://www.meteoschweiz.admin.ch
3. Open-Meteo: Free weather API with Swiss coverage (https://open-meteo.com)
4. SRF Meteo: Swiss public broadcaster weather data

Popular Station Codes

Major Cities

• BER - Bern (Zollikofen)
• BAS - Basel (Binningen)
• GVE - Geneva (Cointrin)
• LUG - Lugano
• ZRH - Zurich Airport

Zurich Region

• KLO - Zurich (Kloten)
• SMA - Säntis (mountain)
• TAE - Aadorf/Tänikon
• REH - Rünenberg (Schafmatt)
• RAG - Rapperswil

Central Switzerland

• LUZ - Lucerne
• ENG - Engelberg
• ALT - Altdorf

Mountain Stations

• SMA - Säntis (2502m)
• JUN - Jungfraujoch (3580m)
• GUE - Gütsch ob Andermatt (2283m)
• PIL - Pilatus (2106m)

Ticino

• LUG - Lugano
• COM - Comprovasco
• LOC - Locarno-Monti

Usage Tips

1. Current weather: Use CSV endpoint - always reliable
2. Location matching:
   • Find nearest station to postal code
   • Consider altitude differences
   • Avoid mountain stations for valley locations
3. Caching: Data updates every 10 minutes, cache responses
4. Error handling: Always have fallback to CSV data

References

• Official MeteoSwiss: https://www.meteoschweiz.admin.ch
• Open Data Platform: https://data.geo.admin.ch
• Station network: https://www.meteoschweiz.admin.ch/home/messsystem.html