Weather Underground API GONE?

I noticed the exact same change (no temp data unless power data is being fed in), but I thought it was because I switched to using inverter temp data versus the WU API feed. Maybe not reading these posts.

I wonder if my Save configuration triggered an upset in the WU API since that is going away it seems. The posts say that if you hadn’t received an WU API key in the past that you can’t get any new ones now.

It looks like the handwriting is on the wall for disappearance of WU exported data to PVO. I will put my vote in for PVO to support its own weather service.

Did WU work in PVO without a key? I always thought you needed one, so I requested one a while back. If you requested an API key from WU previously, you can still retrieve it below and see if re-enentering it works.

https://www.wunderground.com/weather/api/

For now, it appears WU has confirmed free keys will continue to work, but I expect those with keys will be SOL in the near future since IBM has taken over both WU, Weather.com and their business, www.theweathercompany.com. IBM isn’t in the charity business.

The drill with most companies offering anything “free” (PVO is pleasant exception to this) …1) Expand your user base with a free carrot, 2) Let people rely and depend on your service, 3) shop your business around to find a buyer, 4) then slam the door shut on new users, and 5) monetize and/or kick off the “freeloaders” (new owner view) that got you there. Typical crap we shouldn’t put up with.

It appears we are at Step 4 with WU… I agree with @kemyers95963 in that it’s probably only a matter of time before it is all pulled, existing user or not.

This is why whenever possible, everything needs to be 100% self-maintained, local and open source with zero reliance on a company playing gatekeeper and data arbitrator with our future - Most companies like to dangle a carrot using bait and hook .

This just motivates me to create my own weather station on Arduino and have that push the data. Done.

WU Posted here on the API changes:
https://apicommunity.wunderground.com/weatherapi/topics/weather-underground-api-changes

From the WU API post:

  • _"…“Weather Underground as part of The Weather Company, an IBM business…”

They go on to state…

  • “To improve our services and enhance the relationship with our users, we will no longer provide free weather API keys as part of our program. If you have been directed to download our Weather Underground free API key by a third party provider, please contact your vendor for resolution.”

Yeah, Riiight… These changes couldn’t possibly have anything to do with WU trying to turn a profit (not opposed to that in and of itself) due to the costs associated with the IBM acquisition, now could it? … LOL.

I don’t ever remember trying to use WU without its API key. I always had one since I put in my weather station. My uploads to WU are still fine along with the the uploads from my air sensor.

I haven’t tried re-inputting my API key since it is still present in configuration and is working during daylight hours.

The data is just slow to arrive now. Only gets updated every hour it looks like. And no data when I am not producing power.

What I wonder is whether my brief shift to the Eagle Uploader and 1 hour History reporting somehow affected the weather API updating.

The Auto Uploader Temperature is only downloaded when there is power data present.

This was working 24hrs before because it was part of the Eagle consumption download. When the weather data is added to a solar download it will only be present when power is downloaded.

This issue is unrelated to Wunderground decommissioning the free API.

There will be a change to the Auto Uploader enable 24hr temperature download with the solar direction.

But I never had Wattvision nor Eagle Uploader set as Solar direction. I always had them set for NET. I always had 24 hour temp data when set for NET.

Are you saying the only way to get 24 hour temp data is with direction set as Consumption?

Also lost temperature. Last entry was at 7:15am (UTC+10) on 25/5/2018

Hope to see a new reliable source in the future

Changing back to Eagle POST did not restore the temp reporting that I had running from 5AM this morning. Now I am back to temp data only being uploaded in 1 hour batches with 1 hour lags. It was not doing this this morning before I changed back to Eagle Uploader. Somehow that messes up things or it takes a full day for PVO to sort out the account changes.

LOL, OK, seems my problem was a little more simple… The PWS I was using (closest to my house) had gone! I now recall the house selling recently so I guess the PWS has relocated! :slight_smile: As soon as I located another PSW and put it into my PVOutput Settings I’m getting WU temp data again.

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Just noticed the same here. Local PWS I’ve been using is also gone. We should expect more of this as some PWS users are rightfully pissed at WU over the changes and are pulling their stations.

I’m going to just wait it out with whatever BB comes up with for PVO weather reporting. I have the WU API key and it still works. Just don’t have 24 hour reporting anymore and a time lag now. Obviously the power output is most concern but I do like solar radiation report because it correlates directly with power output

If I really want to see the effects of temperature on power output all I have to do is pull up the Webbox interface and look at the DC output voltages. With the temp derating on the panels, you can really see how far the outside temperature drags down the string voltages and thus the power output.

I am still getting temperature reading every five minutes from WU, though they are 20 minutes behind. I can’t recall exactly how long, but they have always been somewhat behind.
Another thing I have noticed, is that the WU service seems to have been degraded, it appears to take a lot longer to load their pages, especially the graphs on my PWS page.

there are a lot of scripts loaded from WU pages nowadays, which definitely slows things down. NoScript can help but isolating the scripts that are necessary for proper functioning isn’t fun.

i think i posted this solution in another thread… my weather had stopped updating sometime in mid june 18 (which happened to be almost co-incident with WattVision dying as well). i switched to the Weather auto-uploader as directed by bankstownbloke but that didn’t fix the problem. it turned out that for whatever reason my API key had been invalidated by WU. regenerating the key @ WU fixed the problem. no idea why the key became invalid, and was a little worried about regeneration possibly disabling my (free) API account, but it worked.

I lost my WU temperature feed on July 9 at 6:20 pm. Hoping to find an alternative soon, as this is a very useful feature.

Quick note: my temps are still reporting from WU.

As its no longer possible to get a new WU api key, i’m wondering if there are any plans to switch to or provide an alternative solution within PVoutput?

Maybe using Dark Sky api perhaps?

https://darksky.net/dev

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by the way, it appears that the API is really going away for good. i recently added a wunderground homebridge plugin and this morning noticed it was throwing erorrs. googled a bit and found this post (from 3 months ago, so i guess from sept-oct).

https://apicommunity.wunderground.com/weatherapi/topics/end-of-service-for-the-weather-underground-api

so i guess the API is really going away for good, rather than being frozen as outlined in the OP.

so what is the situation for PVO going forward?

Is https://openweathermap.org/api an alternative?

Anyone found an alternative to WU?
Was a good feature seeing daily temp line on graphs.

https://openweathermap.org/api looks like a good alternative?