API Documentation

Welcome to the Fetcha Weather API documentation. This guide will help you get started with accessing Australian weather data from the Bureau of Meteorology.

Getting Started

1. Create Your Account

Sign up for a free account to get started. No credit card required.

2. Get Your API Key

Once logged in, navigate to your dashboard to generate an API key. Keep this key secure - it's like a password for your account.

3. Make Your First Request

Here's a simple example to get weather data for Melbourne:

curl -H "X-API-Key: your_api_key_here" \
  "https://api.fetchaweather.com/api/weather/location?location=Melbourne&state=Victoria"

Authentication

All API requests require authentication using an API key. Include your key in the request header:

X-API-Key: your_api_key_here

Security Best Practices

• Never commit API keys to version control
• Use environment variables to store keys
• Rotate keys if they're compromised
• Use different keys for development and production
• Monitor your usage regularly

Rate Limits & Quotas

Rate limits are based on your subscription tier:

API Reference

Base URL

https://api.fetchaweather.com

GET /api/weather/location

Retrieve weather data for a specific location.

Parameters

Example Request

GET /api/weather/location?location=Sydney&state=NSW&date_from=2024-01-01&date_to=2024-01-31

Example Response

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "location": "Sydney",
    "state": "New South Wales",
    "station": "Sydney Observatory Hill",
    "station_number": "066062",
    "weather_data": [
      {
        "date": "2024-01-01",
        "temperature_max": 28.5,
        "temperature_min": 19.2,
        "rainfall": 0.0,
        "humidity_9am": 65,
        "humidity_3pm": 52,
        "wind_speed_9am": 15,
        "wind_speed_3pm": 22
      }
    ]
  },
  "metadata": {
    "total_records": 31,
    "cached": true,
    "timestamp": "2025-10-31T16:00:00+10:00"
  }
}

GET /api/weather/states

List all available Australian states and territories.

Example Response

{
  "success": true,
  "states": [
    {"name": "New South Wales", "abbreviation": "NSW"},
    {"name": "Victoria", "abbreviation": "VIC"},
    {"name": "Queensland", "abbreviation": "QLD"},
    {"name": "South Australia", "abbreviation": "SA"},
    {"name": "Western Australia", "abbreviation": "WA"},
    {"name": "Tasmania", "abbreviation": "TAS"},
    {"name": "Northern Territory", "abbreviation": "NT"},
    {"name": "Australian Capital Territory", "abbreviation": "ACT"}
  ]
}

Code Examples

JavaScript / Node.js

const axios = require('axios');

async function getWeather() {
  try {
    const response = await axios.get(
      'https://api.fetchaweather.com/api/weather/location',
      {
        params: {
          location: 'Brisbane',
          state: 'Queensland',
          date_from: '2024-01-01',
          date_to: '2024-01-31'
        },
        headers: {
          'X-API-Key': process.env.FETCHA_API_KEY
        }
      }
    );
    
    console.log(response.data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error:', error.response.data);
  }
}

getWeather();

Python

import requests
import os

def get_weather():
    url = 'https://api.fetchaweather.com/api/weather/location'
    
    params = {
        'location': 'Brisbane',
        'state': 'Queensland',
        'date_from': '2024-01-01',
        'date_to': '2024-01-31'
    }
    
    headers = {
        'X-API-Key': os.getenv('FETCHA_API_KEY')
    }
    
    try:
        response = requests.get(url, params=params, headers=headers)
        response.raise_for_status()
        data = response.json()
        print(data)
    except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
        print(f'Error: {e}')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    get_weather()

PHP

<?php
$apiKey = getenv('FETCHA_API_KEY');
$url = 'https://api.fetchaweather.com/api/weather/location';

$params = [
    'location' => 'Perth',
    'state' => 'Western Australia',
    'date_from' => '2024-01-01',
    'date_to' => '2024-01-31'
];

$ch = curl_init($url . '?' . http_build_query($params));
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
    'X-API-Key: ' . $apiKey
]);

$response = curl_exec($ch);
$data = json_decode($response, true);

print_r($data);

curl_close($ch);
?>

Error Codes

Error Response Format

{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Rate Limit Exceeded",
  "message": "You have exceeded your monthly quota of 100 requests. Upgrade to Pro for 5,000 requests/month.",
  "quota_remaining": 0,
  "quota_reset": "2025-11-01T00:00:00+10:00"
}

Frequently Asked Questions

What data do you provide?

We provide official Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) weather data including temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed, and other meteorological observations from weather stations across Australia.

How far back does historical data go?

Historical data availability varies by location, with some stations having data from 1946 onwards. Most major cities have comprehensive historical records.

How accurate is the data?

All data comes directly from the Bureau of Meteorology and is as accurate as the official BOM records. We don't modify or predict data - we provide exactly what BOM publishes.

Can I use this data commercially?

Yes! All subscription tiers (including Free) allow commercial use. See our Terms of Service for details.

How do I upgrade my plan?

Upgrade functionality is coming soon with Phase 2 (Stripe integration). For now, all users are on the Free tier.

Do you offer bulk data exports?

Yes, bulk exports are available for Enterprise customers. Contact us for custom solutions.

What's your uptime guarantee?

Free tier: Best effort. Pro tier: 99.9% SLA. Enterprise: Custom SLA available.

How do I report an issue?

Email us at hello@fetchaweather.com with details about the issue.