Windy Webcam MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides access to the Windy Webcam Public API, enabling AI agents to search and retrieve information about live webcams from around the world.

Features

🌍 Global Webcam Access

• Search webcams by location, category, and other criteria
• Get detailed webcam information including images, timelapses, and live players
• Find nearby webcams using geographic coordinates
• Browse webcams by category (beaches, mountains, cities, etc.)

🗺️ Geographic Filtering

• Filter by country, region, or continent
• Bounding box searches for specific geographic areas
• Map clustering optimized for map display applications
• Coordinate-based proximity searches

📊 Comprehensive Data

• Live webcam feeds and preview images
• Location information with detailed geographic data
• Category classification for easy filtering
• Player embeds for live streaming integration
• Export functionality for bulk webcam data

🚀 Performance Features

• Intelligent caching with configurable TTL
• Rate limiting to respect API quotas
• Retry logic with exponential backoff
• Error handling with detailed error messages

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or higher
• Windy API key (get one at https://api.windy.com/keys)

npm Installation

npm install windy-webcam-mcp-server

From Source

git clone <repository-url>
cd windy-webcam-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build

Configuration

Environment Variables

Set your Windy API key as an environment variable:

export WINDY_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

Or create a .env file:

WINDY_API_KEY=your-api-key-here

API Key

You can obtain a free API key from Windy API. The API has rate limits but provides access to a comprehensive database of worldwide webcams.

Usage

Command Line

# Using npm
npx windy-webcam-mcp-server

# Using node directly
node build/index.js

MCP Client Integration

Add to your MCP client configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "windy-webcam": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["windy-webcam-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "WINDY_API_KEY": "your-api-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Available Tools

🔍 search_webcams

Search for webcams with various filters including location, category, and geographic criteria.

Parameters:

• country - Country code (e.g., "US", "DE", "FR")
• region - Region code within a country
• continent - Continent code (e.g., "NA", "EU", "AS")
• category - Category ID or comma-separated list
• nearby - Coordinates for proximity search ("lat,lng")
• bbox - Bounding box ("sw_lat,sw_lng,ne_lat,ne_lng")
• limit - Number of results (1-50, default: 10)
• offset - Result offset for pagination
• order - Sort order (hotness, new, recent, random)
• lang - Language code (default: "en")

📹 get_webcam

Get detailed information about a specific webcam by ID.

Parameters:

• webcam_id - Webcam identifier (required)
• include - Additional data to include
• lang - Language code (default: "en")

🌍 get_webcams_by_location

Get webcams from a specific geographic location.

Parameters:

• location_type - Type of location (country, region, continent)
• location_code - Location code (required)
• limit - Number of results (1-50, default: 20)
• order - Sort order

🏷️ get_webcams_by_category

Get webcams from specific categories.

Parameters:

• categories - Category ID or comma-separated list (required)
• limit - Number of results (1-50, default: 20)
• order - Sort order

📍 get_nearby_webcams

Find webcams near specific coordinates.

Parameters:

• latitude - Latitude coordinate (required)
• longitude - Longitude coordinate (required)
• radius - Search radius in kilometers
• limit - Number of results (1-50, default: 10)

🗺️ get_map_clusters

Get webcam clusters optimized for map display.

Parameters:

• ne_lat, ne_lng - Northeast corner coordinates (required)
• sw_lat, sw_lng - Southwest corner coordinates (required)
• zoom - Map zoom level (1-18)
• cluster - Enable clustering (default: true)

📂 get_categories

Get available webcam categories for filtering.

Parameters:

• lang - Language code (default: "en")

🌎 get_countries

Get available countries with webcams.

Parameters:

• lang - Language code (default: "en")

🏞️ get_regions

Get available regions with webcams.

Parameters:

• lang - Language code (default: "en")

🌍 get_continents

Get available continents with webcams.

Parameters:

• lang - Language code (default: "en")

📦 export_all_webcams

Get basic information about all available webcams.

Parameters:

• format - Export format (json)

Example Usage

Finding Beach Webcams in California

// Search for beach webcams in California
await use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "windy-webcam",
  tool_name: "search_webcams",
  arguments: {
    country: "US",
    region: "US-CA",
    category: "beach",
    limit: 10
  }
});

Getting Webcams Near a Location

// Find webcams near San Francisco
await use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "windy-webcam",
  tool_name: "get_nearby_webcams",
  arguments: {
    latitude: 37.7749,
    longitude: -122.4194,
    limit: 5
  }
});

Getting Available Categories

// Get all available categories
await use_mcp_tool({
  server_name: "windy-webcam",
  tool_name: "get_categories",
  arguments: {
    lang: "en"
  }
});

API Response Format

All tools return responses in the following format:

{
  "success": true,
  "summary": "Found 150 webcams (10 returned)",
  "data": {
    "offset": 0,
    "limit": 10,
    "total": 150,
    "webcams": [...]
  },
  "cached": false,
  "api_info": {
    "cache_hit": false,
    "response_time_ms": 245
  }
}

Rate Limiting and Caching

• Rate Limiting: 1 second delay between API requests
• Caching: 5-minute TTL for most endpoints
• Retry Logic: 3 attempts with exponential backoff
• Error Handling: Comprehensive error messages with status codes

Error Handling

The server handles various error scenarios:

• Invalid API Key: Returns authentication error
• Rate Limiting: Automatic retry with backoff
• Not Found: Clear error messages for missing resources
• Network Issues: Retry logic with timeout handling

Development

Building

npm run build

Testing

npm test

Development Mode

npm run dev

API Documentation

For detailed API documentation, visit: https://api.windy.com/webcams/docs

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

Support

For issues and questions:

• Check the API documentation
• Review the error messages for troubleshooting
• Ensure your API key is valid and properly configured

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Built with ❤️ for the Model Context Protocol ecosystem.