Show your working
Sources should never hide behind the clouds.
How the automated pipeline selects a live provider and labels fallback, preserved and unavailable source states.
Current state
Live data, clearly labelled
The browser loads small JSON files from this site. It never receives, stores or calls with a private Met Office credential. The build publishes data only after validating the provider response, source metadata, units and product-specific terms.
Update and stale states
The client checks its local JSON on page load, approximately hourly while open, and when a previously hidden tab returns after an hour. It uses a cache-busting query, keeps the last valid in-memory display if a later request fails, marks data stale after two hours and gives a stronger warning after six hours.
A scheduled host may start later than its nominal minute, so the interface says “next check around” rather than promising an exact time.
Source register
What each service is for
| Source | Purpose | Access method | Deployment state | Important condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Met Office Weather DataHub | Preferred site-specific forecast data | Server-side workflow only | Enabled only with a secret and confirmed durable quota reservation | Product-specific terms and attribution apply; the key never enters browser code. |
| Met Office warning feeds | Official warning title, severity, validity, regions and direct link | Official RSS | Incomplete items are withheld and the official warnings link remains visible | No invented timing, regions, polygons or altered meaning. |
| Met Office news feed | Discover source titles, dates and direct URLs | Official RSS plus manual review | Unreviewed items use neutral link-out copy; unavailable feeds show no invented cards | No article scraping, copied body text or unlicensed imagery. |
| Open-Meteo | Place geocoding and live indicative forecast fallback | Documented public API | Active when the preferred forecast cannot run; next 24 hours plus derived daily summaries | Always visibly attributed and never described as official Met Office data. The free API must not be used after monetisation without an appropriate plan. |
| OpenStreetMap | Optional interactive base map | Leaflet tile requests | Loaded only after optional-map permission and when the map nears view | Attribution remains visible; rejecting the map leaves the table and forecasts available. |
| Community platforms | Short-lived, attributed public weather chatter | Official API, documented Mastodon hashtag timeline, public oEmbed or curated link | Moderated live posts only; the section is omitted when none qualify | No scraping, synthetic cards, hidden location or claim that chatter is verified. |
Attribution and licensing
Do not flatten different licences into one
Where a source is specifically identified as public sector information under that licence, the applicable statement is:
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Weather DataHub uses product-specific terms and attribution. Live Global Spot output is labelled “Powered by Met Office data — data supplied by the Met Office”; WeatherChart does not claim that product is covered by the general website OGL.
The Met Office name is used only to identify a source. WeatherChart does not use its logo, imitate its visual identity or imply approval, sponsorship or endorsement.
Source and time together.Weather values should always carry both.
Fallbacks named.Indicative data is never presented as official.
Last good data retained.An outage must not deploy an empty or malformed dataset.