shipapis
StarSubmit an APISubmit API

Hong Kong Observatory vs US Weather

Same instrument, two spec sheets — measured, not claimed.

APIHong Kong ObservatoryHEALTHY60US WeatherHEALTHY97
Uptime · 30d
Uptime · 90d100%100%
Uptime · 30d100%100%
P50 · ms1415223
P95 · ms36702086
Authnonenone
CORSyesyes
HTTPSyesyes
Card requirednono
Commercial useunclearyes
Data licenseHKO open data (see terms of use)U.S. Government work / public domain
Free tierFree, no keyFree (US Government public data)
Rate limitUnpublishedUnpublished (asks for a User-Agent identifying your app)
In directory since2026-07-052026-07-05
operationalpartialdownno data

Hong Kong Observatory vs US Weather: common questions

Which is more reliable, Hong Kong Observatory or US Weather?

Both are neck-and-neck — Hong Kong Observatory and US Weather each measure 100% uptime over 90 days on our probe schedule. Reliability here is verified from our own scheduled checks; use the 30-day bars above to see which has been steadier lately.

Which is faster, Hong Kong Observatory or US Weather?

US Weather has the lower median latency in our checks — Hong Kong Observatory responds in 1415 ms versus US Weather at 223 ms (P50). Tail latency (P95) is in the table above; for most workloads the median is the number that shapes how the API feels.

Do Hong Kong Observatory and US Weather need an API key?

Neither needs a paid key — Hong Kong Observatory is callable with no signup, and US Weather is callable with no signup. Both are quick to prototype with; rate limits still apply.

Can I call Hong Kong Observatory and US Weather from the browser?

Yes — both Hong Kong Observatory and US Weather send CORS headers over HTTPS, so front-end code can fetch either directly with no backend proxy. That makes them easy to swap in a client-side app while you compare responses.

Are Hong Kong Observatory and US Weather free for commercial use?

Hong Kong Observatory has unclear commercial terms, and US Weather allows commercial use on its free tier. We track service terms and the data license as separate fields — see the Commercial use and Data license rows above, and confirm both before shipping either in a paid product.