INSPIRE layers tiled imagery detailed documentation
Detailed documentation on the INSPIRE layers tiled imagery.
Precipitation forecast map layer
Forecast map layer for the UK showing precipitation
Product Description
A forecast map layer covering the UK showing precipitation. Precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapour that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow and hail.
Multiple tile map layer images are provided three hourly from T+0 to T+36.
The map layer is provided without a map, the boundary box for this image is 48° to 61° north and 12° west to 5° east.
The image layers are currently made available in the following projections:
- EPSG:4258 - ETRS89 / European Terrestrial Reference System
- EPSG:27700 - British National Grid
- EPSG:29903 - Irish Grid
- EPSG:2157 - Irish Transverse Mercator
Rainfall radar map layer
Radar image showing observed rainfall rates provided as a map overlay
Product Description
A set of single tile images in the form of map overlays to show recent rain rates in mm/hour over the UK.
Multiple tile map layer images are updated every 15 minutes with a 15 minute delay due to processing times.
The map layer is provided without a map, the boundary box for this image is 48.0 to 61.0 degrees north and 12.0 degrees west to 5.0 degrees east.
The image layers are currently made available in the following projections:
- EPSG:4258 - ETRS89 / European Terrestrial Reference System
- EPSG:27700 - British National Grid
- EPSG:29903 - Irish Grid
- EPSG:2157 - Irish Transverse Mercator
WMTS observation imagery detailed documentation
Detailed documentation on the WMTS observation layer capabilities feed.
Description of data feed
The WMTS observation layer capabilities feed provides an OGC WMTS 1.0.0 compliant getcapabilities response. This details the timesteps that are available, and styles that can be applied. The WMTS observation layer capabilities feed provides information on the available layers for the following products:
- Current weather map layers UK rainfall radar
Accessing the feed via its web service
Description of web service
The WMTS observation layer capabilities web service can be used to retrieve the output of the observation layer capabilities feed. This returns XML, please include your API key in the query string.
Possible use case for this web service with example URL
- You would like to know the current WMTS observation layer capabilities in XML format.
Example: to obtain capabilities for the WMTS observation layers in XML format:
https://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/inspire/view/wmts?REQUEST=getcapabilities&key=<API key>
The above example would return a file of approximately 78 kB in size
Example of XML response
The following example shows a typical result of a call to the observation layer capabilities web service.
XML
The XML that follows is a representative response to a call to the following URL, with a valid key:
https://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/inspire/view/wmts?REQUEST=getcapabilities&key=<API key>
Anatomy of responses
The XML response produced by this web service returns a standard WMTS capabilities document, defined as follows:
Layer
A Layer object defines a single layer, and contains all the information associated with that layer, including:
- ows:Title: This provides the name of the layer
- ows:WGS84BoundingBox: The minimum zoom level of the layer's area, defined in standard WGS84 format
- Style: This indicates the styles available for the layer image
- Dimension: This provides the dimensions available in the layer
Identifier- Time: This lists the times for which data is available. This lists the times for which data is available. The value of each of these elements gives a time for which an observation is available, expressed in ISO8601 format
Default: The default time used if the time parameter is not specified
Value: The time values available
- TileMatrixSet: The available projections, e.g. EPSG:4258
- TileMatrix: The available zoom levels per projection
Gettile Requests
To request a tile from the WMTS service, use the following format:
https://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/inspire/view/wmts?REQUEST=gettile&LAYER=<layer required>&FORMAT=image/png&TILEMATRIXSET=<projection>&TILEMATRIX=<projection zoom level required>&TILEROW=<tile row required>&TILECOL=<tile column required>&TIME=<time required>&STYLE=<style required>&key=<API key>
Only the PNG image format is supported. Optional parameters are in italics.
An example request:
WMTS forecast imagery detailed documentation
Detailed documentation on the WMTS forecast layer capabilities feed.
Description of data feed
The WMTS forecast layer capabilities feed provides an OGC WMTS 1.0.0 compliant getcapabilities response. This details the run and forecast times that are available, and styles that can be applied. The WMTS forecast layer capabilities feed provides information on the available layers for the following products:
- Forecast map layers precipitation
Accessing the feed via its web service
Description of web service
The WMTS forecast layer capabilities web service can be used to retrieve the output of the forecast layer capabilities feed. This returns XML, please include your API key in the query string.
Possible use case for this web service with example URL
- You would like to know the current WMTS forecast layer capabilities in XML format.
Example: to obtain capabilities for the WMTS observation layers in XML format:
https://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/inspire/view/wmts?REQUEST=getcapabilities&key=<API key>
The above example would return a file of approximately 78 kB in size
Example of XML response
The following example shows a typical result of a call to the forecast layer capabilities web service.
XML
The XML that follows is a representative response to a call to the following URL, with a valid key:
https://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/inspire/view/wmts?REQUEST=getcapabilities&key=<API key>
Anatomy of responses
The XML response produced by this web service returns a standard WMTS capabilities document, defined as follows:
Layer
A Layer object defines a single layer, and contains all the information associated with that layer, including:
- ows:Title: This provides the name of the layer
- ows:WGS84BoundingBox: The minimum zoom level of the layer's area, defined in standard WGS84 format
- Style: This indicates the styles available for the layer image
- Dimension: This provides the dimensions available in the layer
Identifier- DIM_RUN: This lists the forecast model run times for which data is available. The value of each of these elements gives a time for which a forecast model run is available, expressed in ISO8601 format.
Default: The default run time used if the DIM_RUN parameter is not specified
Value: The run time values available
Identifier- DIM_FORECAST: This lists the model forecast timesteps in 3 hourly timesteps for which data is available.
Default: The default forecast timestep used if the DIM_FORECAST parameter is not specified
Value: The timestep values available
- TileMatrixSet: The available projections, e.g. EPSG:4258
- TileMatrix: The available zoom levels per projection
Gettile Requests
To request a tile from the WMTS service, use the following format:
https://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/inspire/view/wmts?REQUEST=gettile&LAYER=<layer required>&FORMAT=image/png&TILEMATRIXSET=<projection>&TILEMATRIX=<projection zoom level required>&TILEROW=<tile row required>&TILECOL=<tile column required>&DIM_RUN=<run time required>&DIM_FORECAST=<forecast time required>&STYLE=<style required>&key=<API key>
Only the PNG image format is supported. Optional parameters are in italics.
An example request:
https://datapoint.metoffice.gov.uk/public/data/inspire/view/wmts?REQUEST=gettile&LAYER=Precipitation_Rate&FORMAT=image/png&TILEMATRIXSET=EPSG:4258&TILEMATRIX=EPSG:4258:0&TILEROW=0&TILECOL=0&DIM_RUN=2013-11-20T03:00:00Z&DIM_FORECAST=%2B9&STYLE=Bitmap%20Blue-Pale%20blue%20gradient%200.01%20to%20greater%20than%2032mm%2Fhr&key=<API key>Note that the + character has been URL encoded to %2B and the / character to %2F
This should return an image valid for 20-11-2013 at 12:00 (The model run time is 03:00 and the forecast timestep is +9)
