Live weather built for broadcasters

Skycaster is weather broadcasting software for TV and radio stations: a weather data API, a live weather map builder, HTML graphics templates and a rendering client that puts weather maps on air. It delivers real-time weather data as JSON or XML so your automation can drive the whole weather block, lets you present it in any language you broadcast in, and renders weather maps to air as professional video over SDI and HDMI. Skycaster is operated by Hitex World Operations SA in Switzerland.

TV and radio stations, regional broadcasters, media networks and commercial weather operations. If you put a weather segment on air, run a graphics system, or feed a broadcast production pipeline, Skycaster is built for the way you work - not for consumer weather apps.

Weather broadcasting software supplies the forecast data, maps and graphics a station needs to present the weather on air. It typically combines a weather data feed, a map and graphics builder, and a way to get the result into the broadcast chain - as data for the graphics system, as templates, or as video. Skycaster covers all three.

Three ways. Your automation, playout and graphics engines pull structured data straight from the API as JSON or XML. Ready-made HTML templates work in CasparCG and browser-based playout. For live maps and rendered visuals, the Skycaster Rendering Client outputs video into your switcher over SDI or HDMI through a Blackmagic DeckLink card, or renders MP4 files.

Current conditions use the latest 15-minute model data, and the API serves a fresh copy at least every 60 seconds; hourly and daily forecasts extend up to 16 days. On the map, radar, wind streams and heatmaps animate, and you can scrub the forecast timeline hour by hour and play it back on air.

Yes, in as many languages as you need - there is no limit and no extra tier. You define your own wording for every weather condition and alert, in any language or script, including non-Latin character sets, and add ?lang= to the same API call to get your terms back ready for air. No code changes on your end.

That is what the JSON and XML output is for. Pick your cities, fields and units in the dashboard, save them as a named preset, and your systems can request that preset with a single parameter. The feed is structured and consistent, so scheduling, graphics and playout can assemble and update the segment without anyone touching a template.

Yes. Select Weather Alerts and every city and forecast entry includes alerts for thunderstorms, strong wind gusts, heat, cold, heavy rain, freezing rain, heavy snow, very high UV and fog, each graded minor, moderate or severe. Alerts are derived from the forecast data using published thresholds; they are not official warnings from a national weather service.

Forecast, air-quality and pollen data come from Open-Meteo, which combines models from national weather services such as ECMWF, DWD and NOAA. Live maps add rain radar and satellite imagery from RainViewer. All upstream data attribution requirements are handled automatically.

No. Redistributing or re-exposing Skycaster data through your own API or service is prohibited under our Terms of Service. Skycaster is licensed for internal broadcast use only. If you have specific integration needs, reach out to us directly.

Three plans - Skycaster Station (€500/month), Skycaster Regional (€1,000/month) and Skycaster Global (€1,500/month) - billed monthly or annually, with a discount for annual. Every plan includes the full data API, live maps and the rendering client; they differ in API throughput (10, 30 and 60 requests per minute), map capacity and rendering seats. Payments run through Stripe, and you can cancel from the Billing page at any time; the plan stays active until the end of the paid period.

Each organization creates API keys in the dashboard. Keys are tied to the subscription, rate-limited by plan, and must not be shared externally or embedded in publicly accessible code. You can create, revoke and monitor them yourself, with request counts and last-used times for each key; a revoked key stops working immediately.

Weather forecasts are probabilistic by nature. While Skycaster delivers professional-grade data, we do not warrant forecast accuracy for safety-critical applications. The platform is designed for broadcast production and on-air presentation - not aviation, maritime, or emergency response operations.

The Skycaster Rendering Client runs on macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows. It renders map configurations - including 3D Earth flyovers - to MP4 files, or live to SDI and HDMI through a Blackmagic DeckLink card.

Dashboard: it runs in the browser, so any current Windows PC or Mac with 4 GB of RAM and Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari 15.4 or newer is enough; the live map editor needs WebGL 2, and 8 GB of RAM with a stable broadband connection is recommended. Rendering Client on Windows - minimum: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), a 4-core CPU, 8 GB of RAM, a DirectX 11 or Vulkan graphics card with 2 GB of video memory (integrated Intel or AMD graphics work but render more slowly), 5 GB of free disk space and broadband internet. Recommended: Windows 11 (64-bit), an 8-core CPU, 16 GB of RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER or RTX 2060 with 6 GB of video memory or better (an RTX 3060 or better for 4K output), an SSD with 20 GB free for the map cache and video files, and a 50 Mbps or faster connection. Rendering Client on Mac - minimum: macOS 12 Monterey or later, an Apple Silicon M1 or an Intel Mac with Metal-capable graphics, 8 GB of RAM, 5 GB of free disk space and broadband internet. Recommended: macOS 14 Sonoma or later, an Apple Silicon M2 or M3 (Pro or Max for 4K output), 16 GB of RAM, an SSD with 20 GB free and a 50 Mbps or faster connection. More CPU cores and RAM let the client render several parts of a video in parallel, and a GPU with a hardware H.264 encoder (NVIDIA NVENC, Intel Quick Sync, AMD AMF or Apple VideoToolbox) keeps exports fast.

Skycaster (skycaster.tv) is a weather data and graphics platform for broadcasters, operated by Hitex World Operations SA in Switzerland. It is not related to Skycasters, the US satellite internet provider, or the SkyCaster tethered drone.

Choose a plan, subscribe, and create your API keys in the dashboard straight away. The documentation at docs.skycaster.tv covers everything from your first API call to full broadcast integration. For custom onboarding or enterprise needs, contact us at support@skycaster.tv.