get-weather

Get Weather

Fetch current weather information for any location using the wttr.in service.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• User asks for current weather conditions
• User requests temperature information
• User needs weather forecast
• User wants to know weather for a specific city or location
• User asks about meteorological conditions

Process

Step 1: Identify Location

Extract the location from the user's request:

• City name (e.g., "London", "New York")
• City with country (e.g., "Paris, France")
• Airport code (e.g., "LAX")
• Coordinates (e.g., "~Eiffel+Tower")

Step 2: Fetch Weather Data

Use curl to fetch weather from wttr.in:

curl "wttr.in/LOCATION?format=j1"

The service returns JSON with:

• Current conditions
• Temperature (Celsius and Fahrenheit)
• Humidity
• Wind speed and direction
• Weather description
• Forecast data

Step 3: Parse and Format Output

Extract relevant information:

1. Current temperature
2. Weather condition (sunny, cloudy, rainy, etc.)
3. Humidity percentage
4. Wind speed
5. "Feels like" temperature

Step 4: Present Results

Display weather information in a clear format:

• Location name
• Current conditions
• Temperature (both C and F)
• Additional details (humidity, wind)
• Brief forecast if requested

Examples

Example 1: Simple Weather Query

User Input: "What's the weather in Seattle?"

Process:

1. Extract location: "Seattle"
2. Fetch: curl "wttr.in/Seattle?format=j1"
3. Parse JSON response
4. Format output

Expected Output:

Weather in Seattle:
Currently: Partly cloudy
Temperature: 15°C (59°F)
Feels like: 13°C (55°F)
Humidity: 65%
Wind: 10 km/h NW

Example 2: International Location

User Input: "How's the weather in Tokyo, Japan?"

Process:

1. Extract location: "Tokyo"
2. Fetch: curl "wttr.in/Tokyo?format=j1"
3. Parse response
4. Format for display

Expected Output:

Weather in Tokyo:
Currently: Clear
Temperature: 22°C (72°F)
Feels like: 22°C (72°F)
Humidity: 45%
Wind: 15 km/h E

Example 3: Weather with Forecast

User Input: "What's the weather going to be like in Miami tomorrow?"

Process:

1. Extract location: "Miami"
2. Fetch: curl "wttr.in/Miami?format=j1"
3. Parse current and forecast data
4. Present both current and tomorrow's forecast

Expected Output:

Current Weather in Miami:
Currently: Sunny
Temperature: 28°C (82°F)
Feels like: 31°C (88°F)
Humidity: 70%
Wind: 12 km/h SE

Tomorrow's Forecast:
High: 29°C (84°F)
Low: 24°C (75°F)
Condition: Partly cloudy
Chance of rain: 20%

Best Practices

• Always include both Celsius and Fahrenheit for temperature
• Handle location variations (abbreviations, alternate spellings)
• Provide "feels like" temperature when available
• Include humidity and wind for complete picture
• Use clear, readable formatting
• Handle errors gracefully (invalid locations, network issues)

Common Pitfalls

• Ambiguous locations: "Paris" could be Paris, France or Paris, Texas. Ask for clarification or default to most common.
• Invalid locations: Service may not recognize very small towns. Suggest nearby major city.
• Network failures: If wttr.in is unavailable, inform user and suggest trying again later.
• Encoding issues: Replace spaces with + in URLs (e.g., "New York" → "New+York")

Dependencies

• curl command-line tool
• Internet connection
• wttr.in service availability

API Details

wttr.in URL formats:

• JSON output: wttr.in/LOCATION?format=j1
• Plain text: wttr.in/LOCATION
• Weather codes: wttr.in/LOCATION?format=%C+%t

No API key required. Free service with reasonable rate limits.

Error Handling

Location Not Found:

Error: Could not find location "Xyz123"
Please check spelling or try a nearby major city.

Network Error:

Error: Unable to fetch weather data
Please check your internet connection and try again.

Service Unavailable:

Error: Weather service temporarily unavailable
Please try again in a few moments.