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How to set up Windy.com weather maps as signage

  • Updated

Windy.com is a popular service for visualizing live weather conditions worldwide. Using Airtame, these live, animated maps can be displayed as digital signage to provide real-time updates on wind, rain, and temperature.

This setup uses the Website app to display a customized "widget" view of Windy.com. This is ideal for lobbies, reception areas, and common rooms where checking the local forecast at a glance is helpful.

How to generate a Windy.com URL

To use the Website app, you must first generate a specific "Embed" URL. This strips away the standard website menus and leaves just the map.

  1. Open Windy.com in your web browser.

  2. Search for your location (e.g., Copenhagen).

  3. Open the menu (three horizontal lines in the top-left) and click Embed widget on page.

  4. In the settings window:

    • Select the overlay: Choose Wind, Rain, or Temperature.

    • Adjust units: Set your preferred units for wind (e.g., m/s or mph) and temperature (e.g., °C or °F).

    • Check "Hide controls": This removes the play bar and menu buttons for a cleaner signage look.

  5. Look for the code box labeled Embed this HTML code.

  6. Copy the code and paste it into a notepad.

  7. Find the URL inside the src="..." section. Copy only this URL.

Example URL:

https://embed.windy.com/embed2.html?lat=55.676&lon=12.568&detailLat=55.676&detailLon=12.568&width=650&height=450&zoom=9&level=surface&overlay=wind&menu=&message=&marker=&calendar=now&pressure=&type=map&location=coordinates&detail=&metricWind=default&metricTemp=default&radarRange=-1

How to set up the Website app

  1. Log into your Airtame Cloud organization.

  2. Select the screen(s) you wish to update.

  3. Click the Edit settings button.

  4. Click the Signage menu.

  5. Click the Add button under the Playlist section.

  6. Select the Website app.

  7. In the URL field, paste the Windy.com URL you generated in the previous steps.

  8. Optional: Toggle on Refresh page interval and set it to 10 minutes to ensure the weather data stays current.

  9. Click Save to add the app.

  10. Click Apply changes to update the screens.

Advanced URL Parameters

You can manually adjust the URL parameters to change the look of the map without generating a new code every time. Here are the most useful parameters for signage:

Parameter Description Example
lat / lon The geo-coordinates for the map center. lat=55.676&lon=12.568
zoom The zoom level (1-20). Higher numbers zoom in closer. zoom=10
overlay The weather layer to display.

overlay=wind (Animates well)

overlay=rain

overlay=temp
metricTemp The unit for temperature.

metricTemp=°C

metricTemp=°F
metricWind The unit for wind speed.

metricWind=m%2Fs (m/s)

metricWind=mph

metricWind=kt (knots)
menu Hides the UI elements when left empty. menu=

Example of a "Clean" URL for Signage:

This URL focuses on Copenhagen, shows the Wind overlay in Fahrenheit, and hides the menu.

https://embed.windy.com/embed2.html?lat=55.676&lon=12.568&zoom=9&overlay=wind&menu=&metricTemp=°F

Requirements

  • Internet Connection: The Airtame screen requires a stable internet connection to load the live map and data.

  • Embed Policy: Windy.com is a 3rd-party service. Their API and embed policies may change, which could affect how the map renders.

Other notes

  • Auto-play: The Wind overlay animation plays automatically, which looks great on signage. However, the Radar history loop and the forecast timeline (future predictions) do not auto-play in the embed view.

  • Loading Time: Complex maps may take a few seconds to load. We recommend setting a longer duration (e.g., 60 seconds or more) for this app in your playlist so viewers have time to read the map.

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