Guest Blog: Plan for the Unplannable with AccuWeather Data in Azure

Business strategies are constantly shifting as the needs of its users change. Leaders must consider a multitude of factors from buyer utility to costs structure. However, a component of business planning that’s not generally accounted for is weather, and it can have a tremendous impact. While we can’t control the weather, we can predict it to better prepare for optimal outcomes by leveraging the most accurate weather data available. The media has shifted the conversation to understand weather’s impact on businesses around the world, urging leaders to evaluate weather’s effect on their bottom line and not just how they plan to do business day to day, but also to inform their growth strategies.

With Microsoft’s mission to “empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more,” the software leader has partnered with AccuWeather to leverage its highly accurate weather data to enhance app features, increase safety, reduce losses, minimize liability, optimize marketing campaigns, efficiently plan business operations, analyze patterns, and improve transportation and logistics management.

AccuWeather’s robust collection of weather data is extremely comprehensive, and AccuWeather has the most complete database of forecast models from around the world. Being a single source, AccuWeather is making it easier for companies to get weather information that will directly affect their business, their people, and their most important assets, wherever they may be located worldwide.

AccuWeather is proud of being proven to be the most accurate source of weather forecasts in the world, serving more than half of the Fortune 500 companies along with thousands of other businesses globally. This same comprehensive, worldwide data is available on Azure platforms and through the Azure Maps Weather Services to access the information needed to not only succeed today, but also to have the necessary data to consider important elements for future planning.

Azure Maps customers receive access to AccuWeather’s proprietary products, such as AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® and AccuWeather MinuteCast® directly through the Azure Maps Weather APIs.

• AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® - the patented and unique "RealFeel Temperature®" was invented by AccuWeather to help people determine how the air feels outside and how it’s perceived by the average person for greater safety, comfort, and convenience.  The often-imitated AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is the only index that exists worldwide that takes sunshine into account. It uses more than a dozen atmospheric factors to provide an accurate measure of how current or weather conditions “feel.”
• AccuWeather MinuteCast® - the leading minute by minute forecasts, gives people access to detailed precipitation forecasts, including precipitation type and intensity as well as start and end times for the next two hours.

Retailers can leverage Azure Maps Weather APIs to improve operational efficiencies that factor in weather’s impact on store sales. Similarly, energy companies can plan multiple steps ahead and proactively deploy crews before severe weather hits allowing for greater safety and efficiency. We all experience the impact of weather; this isn’t limited to retail or energy scenarios – the opportunity for every industry is limitless. Azure Maps’ weather service allows teams to lead, analyze, plan and act with massive amounts of accurate weather data.

Weather data available through Azure Maps:

	Get Current Conditions	Detailed current weather conditions such as precipitation, temperature, and wind for a precise location. Also, observations from the past 6 or 24 hours for a particular location can be retrieved.
	Get Daily Forecast	Detailed weather forecast such as temperature and wind, by day, for the next 1, 5, 10, 15, 25, or 45 days for a precise location.
	Get Daily Indices	Forecasts that weigh various weather-related factors that may affect specific activities or health conditions, such as running, arthritis pain, etc.
	Get Hourly Forecast	Detailed weather forecasts by the hour for the next 1, 12, 24 (1 day), 72 (3 days), 120 (5 days), and 240 hours (10 days) for the precise location.
	Get Minute Forecast	AccuWeather MinuteCast® returns minute-by-minute forecasts® for a precise location for the next 120 minutes
	Get Quarter Day Forecast	Detailed weather forecast by quarter-day for the next 1, 5, 10, or 15 days for a precise location.
	Get Severe Weather Alerts	Severe weather alerts from both official government meteorological agencies and leading global and regional weather alert providers. The service can return details such as alert type, category, level, and detailed description about the active alerts for the requested location, such as hurricanes, thunderstorms, lightning, heat waves or forest fires.
	Get Weather Along Route	Hyper local (one kilometer or less), up-to-the-minute weather nowcasts, weather hazard assessments, and notifications along a route described as a sequence of waypoints. This includes a list of weather hazards affecting the route, and the aggregated hazard index for each point along a route according for a driver, allowing for greater safety and efficiency.

Leverage real-time weather data while planning your business strategy and refining your initiatives

with AccuWeather’s Data on Azure

To learn more about weather data on Azure, visit the documentation page and get the forecast you need for better decision making. To learn more about AccuWeather and Microsoft, check out Microsoft Customer Stories.

Guest blog from: Tamara Dozier, AccuWeather (Linkedin)