Weather_forecast

Weather Forecast Application with Django

• Weather Forecast Screenshot Example screenshot of the application*

Overview

A Python-based web application built with Django that provides current weather conditions and a simple 3-day forecast for selected locations.
The application fetches real-time weather data from the OpenWeatherMap API and presents it in an easy-to-use interface.

Features

-Current Weather Display: Shows temperature, humidity, wind speed, and conditions
3-Day Forecast: Simple forecast prediction for upcoming days
Multiple Locations: Pre-configured with major world cities
Responsive Design: Works on desktop and mobile devices
API Integration: Connects with OpenWeatherMap for live data

Technology Stack

-Backend: Django 4.x
-Frontend: HTML5, Bootstrap 5
-API: OpenWeatherMap
-Database: SQLite (default)

-Dependencies:
requests
python-dotenv

-Installation Guide
Prerequisites
-Python 3.7+
-pip package manager
-OpenWeatherMap API key (free tier available)

Setup Instructions

Clone the repository (or create from the provided code)
bash
git clone [repository-url]
cd weather_forecaster
Create and activate virtual environment
bash
python -m venv venv
# Windows
venv\Scripts\activate
# Mac/Linux
source venv/bin/activate
-Install dependencies
bash
pip install -r requirements.txt
Configure environment variables
Create a .env file in the project root:

WEATHER_API_KEY=your_openweathermap_api_key

Apply database migrations

bash
python manage.py migrate
Seed sample locations

bash
python manage.py seed_locations
Create admin user (optional)

bash
python manage.py createsuperuser
Run development server

bash
python manage.py runserver
Access the application
Open your browser to:

http://127.0.0.1:8000/

Usage Guide

-Select a Location
-Choose from the dropdown list of available cities
-Click "Get Forecast" button
-View Weather Information
Current weather conditions appear at the top
3-day forecast appears below in card format
Admin Interface (optional)
Access /admin to manage locations
Login with superuser credentials

API Configuration

This application uses the OpenWeatherMap API:
-Sign up for a free account at OpenWeatherMap
-Get your API key from the account dashboard
-Add it to your .env file as WEATHER_API_KEY
The free tier provides:
-60 calls per minute
-1,000,000 calls per month
-Current weather data only

Project Structure

C:\Users\Fridah Mathias\Documents\Github\weather_forecast\
├── weather_forecast\ (virtual environment)
└── weather_project\
├── forecast\
│ ├── migrations\
│ ├── init.py
│ ├── admin.py
│ ├── apps.py
│ ├── models.py
│ ├── tests.py
│ └── views.py
├── weather_project\
│ ├── init.py
│ ├── asgi.py
│ ├── settings.py
│ ├── urls.py
│ └── wsgi.py
└── manage.py

Customization Options

Adding New Locations
Via Admin Interface
-Access /admin
-Navigate to Locations section
-Add new location with name, latitude, longitude Via Management Command
-Edit seed_locations.py
-Add new locations to the list
-Run the command again

Styling Changes

Modify the Bootstrap classes in:
-forecast/templates/forecast/base.html
-forecast/templates/forecast/index.html
-forecast/templates/forecast/forecast.html

Extending Features

✅Better Forecasting
Implement a proper forecasting API
Add more detailed weather data
Location Search
Add geocoding functionality
Implement address lookup
User Accounts
Enable favorite locations
Save search history

Troubleshooting

Common Issues
API Not Working
-Verify your API key is correct
-Check your OpenWeatherMap account status
-Ensure you're not exceeding rate limits

Template Errors
-Verify all template files exist in correct locations
-Check for typos in template names/paths

Database Issues
-Run migrations: python manage.py migrate
-Create superuser if admin access needed

License

This project is open-source and available under the MIT License.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please fork the repository and submit pull requests.

Support

For assistance, please open an issue in the GitHub repository or contact [email protected].