W
Weather MCP

Get Current Conditions

The get_current_conditions tool retrieves current weather conditions for a specified location in real-time.

Overview

Tool Name: get_current_conditions Coverage: Worldwide Data Source: NOAA (US) or Open-Meteo (International) Cache Duration: 5-10 minutes Update Frequency: Every 10-30 minutes (varies by location)

Usage

Claude automatically uses this tool when you ask about current weather. You don't need to call it directly.

Example Queries

"What's the current weather in Seattle?"
"Is it raining in Tokyo right now?"
"Current temperature in London"
"What are the conditions in Miami?"
"How's the weather in Sydney at the moment?"

Parameters

location (required)

Type: string Description: Location name, coordinates, or address

The location can be specified in several formats:

  • City name: "Seattle", "Tokyo", "London"
  • City and country: "Paris, France", "Sydney, Australia"
  • Coordinates: "47.6062,-122.3321" (latitude,longitude)
  • ZIP/Postal code: "98101" (US only)

Response Data

Current conditions include:

Temperature

  • Current Temperature: In both Celsius and Fahrenheit
  • Feels Like: Apparent temperature accounting for wind chill or heat index

Atmospheric Conditions

  • Weather Description: Clear, cloudy, rainy, snowy, etc.
  • Pressure: Atmospheric pressure in millibars or inches of mercury
  • Humidity: Relative humidity percentage (0-100%)
  • Dew Point: Temperature at which dew forms

Wind

  • Speed: Current wind speed in mph or km/h
  • Direction: Cardinal direction (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW)
  • Gusts: Wind gust speed if significant

Visibility

  • Visibility Distance: How far you can see (in miles or kilometers)

Precipitation

  • Current Precipitation: If actively raining/snowing
  • Recent Precipitation: Amount in the last hour

Sky Conditions

  • Cloud Cover: Percentage of sky covered by clouds
  • Condition: Clear, partly cloudy, overcast, etc.

Observation Details

  • Observation Time: When the data was recorded
  • Station: Weather station providing the data

Example Response

User: "What's the current weather in Seattle?"

Claude: "Current conditions in Seattle, WA (as of 2:45 PM PST):

Temperature: 52°F (11°C) Feels Like: 48°F (9°C) Conditions: Partly Cloudy Humidity: 68% Wind: NW at 12 mph Pressure: 30.12 in (1019 mb) Visibility: 10 miles

The observation was taken 15 minutes ago from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport weather station."

Data Sources

NOAA (US Locations)

  • Coverage: United States, territories, coastal waters
  • Update Frequency: 10-30 minutes
  • Data Quality: Very high (direct weather station observations)
  • Stations: Over 1,700 automated stations

Open-Meteo (International)

  • Coverage: Worldwide
  • Update Frequency: 15-30 minutes
  • Data Quality: High (combines multiple data sources)
  • Resolution: Nearest weather station or model grid point

Use Cases

Quick Weather Checks

"Do I need an umbrella right now?"
"Is it warm enough for shorts?"
"Current temperature at my location"

Travel Decisions

"What's the weather like at the airport?"
"Are conditions good for driving?"
"Current visibility for flying"

Outdoor Activities

"Is it good weather for a run?"
"Current conditions at the beach"
"How windy is it for sailing?"

Weather Monitoring

"Has the rain started yet?"
"Did the temperature drop?"
"Is it still cloudy?"

Accuracy & Timeliness

Observation Age

Current conditions typically reflect observations from:

  • Major airports: 10-20 minutes ago
  • Urban stations: 15-30 minutes ago
  • Rural stations: 30-60 minutes ago

Location Precision

Data comes from the nearest weather station, which may be:

  • Urban areas: Within 1-5 miles
  • Rural areas: Within 10-20 miles
  • Remote areas: Interpolated from model data

Local microclimates may differ from the reported conditions.

Comparison with Forecast

Current Conditions shows what the weather is right now. Forecast shows what the weather will be in the future.

Current: "It's 52°F and partly cloudy"
Forecast: "It will be 48°F tonight with a 70% chance of rain"

Limitations

  • Update Delay: Data may be 10-30 minutes old
  • Station Distance: Conditions reflect nearest weather station, not exact location
  • Microclimates: Local variations may not be captured
  • Historical Data: This tool only provides current conditions, not past weather

Error Handling

Common errors and solutions:

"Location not found"

  • Solution: Use a more specific location name or coordinates

"No recent observations available"

  • Solution: Try a nearby larger city or airport

"Station temporarily offline"

  • Solution: Weather MCP automatically tries alternative stations

Related Tools

Technical Details

Caching

Current conditions are cached briefly to reduce API calls:

  • Cache Key: Location coordinates
  • TTL: 300-600 seconds (5-10 minutes)
  • Rationale: Weather stations update every 10-30 minutes, so caching doesn't reduce data freshness

Data Processing

  1. Location Resolution: Convert location name to coordinates
  2. Station Selection: Find nearest weather station
  3. Data Retrieval: Fetch observation from provider API
  4. Unit Conversion: Convert to both metric and imperial units
  5. Response Formatting: Structure data for Claude's presentation

Provider Fallback

If the primary provider fails:

  1. Try alternative provider automatically
  2. If both fail, return cached data (if available)
  3. If no cache, return error with retry suggestion

Best Practices

  1. Be Specific: Include city and state/country for best results
  2. Check Recency: Note the observation time in Claude's response
  3. Compare Sources: For critical decisions, verify with multiple sources
  4. Use Alerts: Always check weather alerts for severe conditions

Next Steps