About
The Tempest Weather System by WeatherFlow Tempest Inc. is a revolutionary home weather station designed for accuracy, simplicity, and smart connectivity. Built with no moving parts and requiring virtually zero maintenance, the Tempest sensor installs in under five minutes and immediately begins streaming real-time weather data including temperature, rainfall, wind speed, lightning detection, UV index, and ambient light levels. At the core of the system is the Tempest app, available on iOS and Android, which leverages Nearcast AI™ to deliver a guaranteed better forecast tailored to your exact location. Users also receive a free personal weather webpage and access to a rich API for building or connecting third-party applications. Tempest excels as a smart home hub for weather-driven automation. It integrates natively with Amazon Alexa, Rachio smart irrigation, and IFTTT, enabling automations like adjusting your thermostat based on current conditions, triggering outdoor lighting from ambient light readings, and automatically modifying watering schedules based on actual rainfall. Instant lightning alerts provide real-time safety notifications. The system is ideal for homeowners, gardeners, smart home enthusiasts, developers building weather-aware apps, and professionals in agriculture, utilities, or coastal management. With a growing ecosystem of integrations and a developer-friendly API, Tempest bridges personal weather intelligence with broader automation and data workflows.
Key Features
- No-Moving-Parts Sensor Design: The Tempest station uses solid-state technology with no moving parts, eliminating maintenance and increasing long-term reliability.
- Nearcast AI™ Forecasting: Proprietary AI engine delivers hyper-local, guaranteed better forecasts by combining personal station data with regional models.
- Smart Home Integrations: Connects natively with Amazon Alexa, Rachio irrigation, IFTTT, and more to automate home systems based on real-time weather conditions.
- Developer API & Third-Party Apps: A rich, well-documented API enables developers to build weather-aware applications and integrate Tempest data into existing platforms.
- Lightning & Real-Time Alerts: Detects approaching lightning strikes and sends instant push notifications so users can take timely safety precautions.
Use Cases
- Automate a smart irrigation system to skip watering cycles when Tempest detects recent or incoming rainfall, conserving water and protecting plants.
- Connect Tempest to an Amazon smart thermostat to dynamically adjust home heating and cooling based on real outdoor temperature readings.
- Trigger outdoor smart lighting based on Tempest's ambient light sensor so lights activate at dusk and deactivate at dawn automatically.
- Use the Tempest API to integrate hyper-local weather data into a custom agricultural, utility, or logistics application.
- Receive instant lightning strike alerts to safely move children, pets, or equipment indoors before a storm arrives.
Pros
- Effortless Setup: The station installs in under five minutes with no tools or technical expertise required, making it accessible for any homeowner.
- Virtually Zero Maintenance: No moving parts means no sensors to clean or replace, significantly reducing the upkeep burden compared to traditional weather stations.
- Broad Smart Home Compatibility: Deep integrations with popular smart home platforms let users automate energy use, irrigation, and lighting effortlessly.
- Free Personal Weather Webpage & API: Every station comes with a free public weather page and API access, adding real value beyond the hardware purchase.
Cons
- Upfront Hardware Cost: The system requires purchasing physical hardware, making the initial investment higher than pure software weather apps.
- Limited Shipping Regions: Currently only ships to the US, Canada, and the UK, restricting availability for international customers.
- Internet Dependency: Full functionality—including app access, AI forecasting, and smart home triggers—requires a stable internet connection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What weather metrics does the Tempest station measure?
Tempest measures temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, rainfall, UV index, solar radiation, ambient light, and lightning strike distance and energy.
How does Nearcast AI™ improve forecasts?
Nearcast AI™ combines your station's real-time hyper-local observations with regional atmospheric data and machine learning models to produce more accurate, location-specific forecasts than standard weather services.
Which smart home platforms does Tempest support?
Tempest integrates with Amazon Alexa, Rachio smart irrigation, IFTTT, and a growing list of smart home partners, enabling automated control of thermostats, irrigation, lighting, and more.
Is there a developer API available?
Yes, Tempest provides a rich, publicly accessible REST API that developers can use to retrieve weather data, build custom dashboards, or power third-party applications and integrations.
Does the Tempest station require any ongoing maintenance?
No. The station's solid-state, no-moving-parts design means it requires virtually zero maintenance after installation, unlike traditional weather stations with mechanical rain gauges or anemometers.
