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You can integrate weather data into geospatial applications with a couple different options: web map services and web feature services. Each option offers its own unique set of benefits. Whichever service you choose, you will be able to make one or more of the following requests:
- ‘GetCapabilities’ requests, which return the entire catalog of available data and requests.
- ‘GetMap’ and ‘GetFeature’ requests which return the image for the requested raster layer and the vector data.
- ‘GetFeatureInfo’ and ‘DescribeFeatureType’ requests return metadata associated with the request raster layers and vector data.
Web Map Services (WMS) is the API standard that delivers weather content to be layered over your applications and websites. In turn, WMS allows you to access a live lightning feed, customizable severe weather alerts, and National Weather Service watches and warnings. In addition to these services, enhanced satellites and current weather conditions will also give you access to more data that can, in turn, be layered on any geospatial application. Even more specific, is the option to make the layer special to one certain country or region. This allows you to get a clear visual of just how impactful the weather conditions are to you and your enterprise.
Web Feature Services (WFS) delivers the same weather data as WMS but as information with geospatial encoding rather than data layered over a map. Geospatial encoding sounds more complex than it actually is but it’s actually quite simple. WFS gives you the option to use the information for spatial analytics. For example, a city agency may correlate weather conditions with road conditions, helping to optimize traffic routing and the placement of maintenance crews for sanding and salting operations. For utility, they can use WFS to help with the analysis and reporting of the aftermath of a storm.
Utilizing advanced weather analytics helps organizations across numerous industries to be better prepared for undoubtedly unpredictable weather. Whether optimizing the use of WFS or WMS, organizations will be able to plan activities, conduct “what-if” scenarios, and discover patterns in the weather’s impact on their infrastructure, assets, services, and customers.
