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1-Minute Observations API CLASSIC

Integration Fact Sheet
Auth TypeBase URLProtocol
API Key / Bearerhttps://api.metservice.com/observations/nz/1-minuteREST

The 1-Minute Observations API provides access to real-time weather observation data from MetService's network of Automatic Weather Stations, Road Sensors, and Airport Runway Sensors across New Zealand.

Overview​

This API delivers 1-minute observation data with a 60-day retention period from the time of observation. The data is collected from various sensor types including:

  • Automatic Weather Stations - Standard meteorological observations
  • Road Sensors - Road surface and atmospheric conditions
  • Airport Runway Sensors - Aviation-specific weather data

Key Features​

  • Real-time Data: Observations updated every minute
  • 60-Day History: Access to historical data up to 60 days old
  • Multiple Formats: JSON and CF-JSON (with field descriptions)
  • Flexible Queries: Latest, time-range, and historical data access
  • Station Metadata: Complete station information and identifiers

Authentication​

To use this API, you must first Request Access to receive an API Key.

The API supports two authentication methods:

API Key Authentication​

  • By provision of an API Key provided on an HTTP header of type apikey
  • API Key authentication is performed against the Gateway Developer Portal database using standard gateway assertions
  • An API Key is assigned when an Application is configured within the Gateway Developer Portal for the API customer
  • The API customer's Application must have this API assigned to it for use
curl -H "apikey: your-api-key-here" \
  "https://api.metservice.com/observations/nz/1-minute/weatherStation"

Bearer Token Authentication​

  • By provision of a Bearer token provided on an HTTP header of type Authorization
  • Bearer token authentication is performed by validating and decoding against a JWKS (JSON Web Key Set)
  • Currently an OKTA and MetConnect JWKS are supported
  • The bearer token will have been assigned when the API user or application authenticated against another Authentication service
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer your-bearer-token-here" \
  "https://api.metservice.com/observations/nz/1-minute/weatherStation"

Quick Start​

  1. Get API Access: Submit a request via the Request Access page.
  2. List Available Stations: GET /weatherStation
  3. Get Latest Data: GET /weatherStation/{stationId}/latest
  4. Query Historical Data: GET /weatherStation/{stationId}/range/{from}/{to}

Example Calls​

# Get list of available stations
curl --location --request GET 'https://api.metservice.com/observations/nz/1-minute/weatherStation' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer <your-bearer-token>'

# Get latest data with specific variables
curl --location --request GET 'https://api.metservice.com/observations/nz/1-minute/weatherStation/93968/latest?format=json&vars=airtemp_01mnavg,windspd_01mnavg' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer <your-bearer-token>'

# Get last 10 minutes of data in cf-json format
curl --location --request GET 'https://api.metservice.com/observations/nz/1-minute/weatherStation/NZKTA/last/10/minutes?format=cf-json' \
  --header 'apikey: <your-api-key>'

# Get data for a specific time range
curl --location --request GET 'https://api.metservice.com/observations/nz/1-minute/weatherStation/93110/range/2020-06-19T04:00:00Z/2020-06-19T04:48:00Z' \
  --header 'apikey: <your-api-key>'

Response Data​

The response data will be returned in json format whether that be the default json response format or the cf-json response format.

For a detailed description of the observation fields, please refer to the Technical Reference & Schema.

Error Handling​

Like all Classic APIs, the 1-Minute Observations API uses standard HTTP error codes. You may encounter standard 400 Bad Request, 401 Unauthorized, 429 Too Many Requests, and 500 Server Error responses.

For the exact error payload schemas and further details, please review the endpoint responses in the Technical Reference & Schema.

Station Identifiers​

Stations can be identified using either:

  • WMO ID: World Meteorological Organisation numeric identifier (e.g., 93110)
  • ICAO ID: International Civil Aviation Organization alphabetic identifier (e.g., NZKTA)

Data Retention​

  • Retention Period: 60 days from observation time
  • Update Frequency: Every minute
  • Historical Queries: Searches beyond 60 days return no results

Next Steps​

  • FAQ - Common questions and answers

Support​

For technical support or issues with your existing access, please visit our Support & Help Centre.