Best Climate Datasets, Databases & APIs

What is climate data?

Climate data is information about the temperature, atmospheric conditions, precipitation levels, and seasonal weather trends of a given location. Climate data is similar to weather data but is concerned with longer-term patterns, such as average temperature in a country over the past decade, as opposed to over the past week.

How is climate data collected?

Climate data collection uses a range of sources to capture a different condition insights. Meterologists and climate scientists use sensors from locations across the world to build their climate datasets. Different sensors gather different information. For example, powerful thermometers can calculate the average temperature across a land mass, whereas precipitation monitors are used to measure rainfall. Climate data providers also source information from weather data organizations like the US National Weather Service (NWS).

Attributes

Just like there’s lots of variables which make up a certain ‘climate’, there are lots of attributes for climate data. The most common climate data attributes include:
Inconsistencies - When there’s a sudden change to a location’s normal climate, this is called an ‘inconsistency’. It’s helping scientists understand climate change and global warming.
Temperature - The termpature in a given area, expressed in Fahrenheit or Degrees Celcius.
Rainfall - Usually expressed in milimetres per hour.
Air pressure - Expressed in Pascals.
Wind speed - Expressed in nautical miles per hour (aka ‘knots’).

Use cases

Climate data is becoming more and more widely used as the global climate undergoes unprecedented changes. It’s more importsant than ever for meterologists and scientists to have access to high-quality climate data. They use it for the following:
Climate modelling - Modelling involves building predictive scientific models for future climate developments based on historical and present climate trends.
Climate trends analysis - Changes to the climate on either a national or global scale can be recorded using sophisticated charts and analytics sets, allowing scientists to uncover patterns and trends.
Weather-based consumer behavior analytics - Aside from scientists, businesses and marketers can create climate-smart strategies by understanding the correlation between climate in a given area, and consumer behavior, such as their lifestyle and purchasing habits.

Quality assessment

Like all scientific discipline, it’s crucial to use climate data that is as accurate and precise as possible. High-quality climate data providers will be able to expalin their collection methodology, verification processes, and relevant technologies used to ensure that their data is reliable. Also, buying climate data from providers with reviews from customers, as well as certificates and testimonials from independent organizations like the NWS, is a good indicator that the data you’re buying is high-quality.

Where can I buy Climate Data?

Data providers and vendors listed on Datarade sell Climate Data products and samples. Popular Climate Data products and datasets available on our platform are Historical Weather Data - Worldwide - 1940s to present by AWIS Weather Services, Hourly Weather Data - WorldWide - 1940s to present by AWIS Weather Services, and ISS ESG Climate Solutions Global (data on 25k companies and 80k securities) by ISS ESG.

How can I get Climate Data?

You can get Climate Data via a range of delivery methods - the right one for you depends on your use case. For example, historical Climate Data is usually available to download in bulk and delivered using an S3 bucket. On the other hand, if your use case is time-critical, you can buy real-time Climate Data APIs, feeds and streams to download the most up-to-date intelligence.

What are similar data types to Climate Data?

Climate Data is similar to Weather Data, Air Quality Index, Pollen Data, Wildfires Data, and Marine Data. These data categories are commonly used for Weather Forecasting and Weather Observation.

What are the most common use cases for Climate Data?

The top use cases for Climate Data are Weather Forecasting, Weather Observation, and Climate Analytics.