Streamlining of Obtaining and Processing Data from Ogimet Service Using Python Language Script

Abstract

This paper contains a study of using Ogimet services as a source of meteorological data and the Python language script to streamline data processing. Meteorological data is important in large number of research projects in different disciplines of sciences and technology. In this case, it was used to analyze cloudiness, but it can also be used for energy, hydrology, and environment analyses.Attention has been paid to the total cloudiness variability in an area of the Lower Silesia region in Poland during the time period of 2001–2010 using the data from eight synoptic stations (the data was obtained from the Ogimet service). A very important part of the work constituted Ogimet services as a source of free and easily available meteorological data. The biggest advantage of Ogimet is that the process of obtaining data is very easy and helpful in reducing the time needed to collect the data necessary in the research process. The offered data is free and available via the Internet, but it is raw and general. For these reasons, a Python script language application was made for faster and easier data processing. The script applied in this project has been described in detail in the work.Finally, after processing the data, the daily averages of total cloudiness have been calculated based on the available data for eight meteorological stations. Next, the ten-year average for each day and month have been calculated. The results of the study were compared with works that took a longer data time period of total cloudiness into account.