Ecosyste.ms: Awesome

An open API service indexing awesome lists of open source software.

Awesome Lists | Featured Topics | Projects

https://github.com/ropensci/clifro

Easily download and visualise climate data from CliFlo
https://github.com/ropensci/clifro

climate-data climate-stations kml national-climate-database r r-package rstats weather windrose zealand

Last synced: 12 days ago
JSON representation

Easily download and visualise climate data from CliFlo

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

        
---

output:

  md_document:

    variant: markdown_github

---



```{r, echo = FALSE}

knitr::opts_chunk$set(

  collapse = TRUE,

  comment = "#>",

  fig.path = "tools/README-"

)

```



# Enhancing the National Climate Database with *clifro*



[![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/ropensci/clifro.svg)](https://travis-ci.org/ropensci/clifro)

[![CRAN_Status_Badge](https://www.r-pkg.org/badges/version/clifro)](https://cran.r-project.org/package=clifro)

[![](https://cranlogs.r-pkg.org/badges/clifro)](https://cran.r-project.org/package=clifro)

[![codecov.io](https://codecov.io/github/ropensci/clifro/coverage.svg?branch=master)](https://codecov.io/github/ropensci/clifro?branch=master)

[![Project Status: Active – The project has reached a stable, usable state and is being actively developed.](https://www.repostatus.org/badges/latest/active.svg)](https://www.repostatus.org/#active)



New Zealand's National Climate Database, [CliFlo](https://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/) holds data from about 6500 climate stations, with observations dating back to 1850. CliFlo returns raw data at ten minute, hourly, and daily frequencies. CliFlo also returns statistical summaries, inclusive of about eighty different types of monthly and annual statistics and six types of thirty−year normals.



The *clifro* package is designed to minimise the hassle in downloading data from CliFlo. It does this by providing functions for the user to log in, easily choose the appropriate datatypes and stations, and then query the database. Once the data have been downloaded, they are stored as specific objects in **R** with the primary aim to ensure data visualisation and exploration is done with minimal effort and maximum efficiency.



This package extends the functionality of [CliFlo](https://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/) by

returning stations resulting from simultaneous searches, the ability to 

visualise where these climate stations are by exporting to KML files, and elegant

plotting of the climate data. The vignettes and help files are written with the 

intention that even inexperienced R users can use *clifro* easily. Exporting the 

climate data from **R** is fairly easy and for more experienced useRs, automated 

updating of spreadsheets or databases can be made much easier.



## Free CliFlo Subscription

A current [CliFlo subscription](https://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/pls/niwp/wsubform.intro)

is recommended for *clifro*, otherwise data from only one station is available. 

The subscription is free and lasts for 2 years or 2,000,000 rows without renewal, 

which enables access to around 6,500 climate stations around New Zealand and the 

Pacific.



Note this package requires internet access for connecting to the National 

Climate Database web portal.



# Installation in R



```{r, eval = FALSE}

# Install the latest CRAN release

install.packages("clifro")



# Or the latest development version

if(!require(devtools))

  install.packages("devtools")

devtools::install_github("ropensci/clifro")



# Then load the package

library(clifro)

```



```{r, echo = FALSE}

library(clifro)

```



# Getting Started

The following small example shows some of the core functionality in *clifro*. 



## Where are the climate stations?

We can search for climate stations anywhere in New Zealand and return the 

station information in the form of a KML file. For example, we can return all 

the climate stations (current and historic) in the greater Auckland region.



```{r, eval = FALSE}

all.auckland.st = cf_find_station("Auckland", search = "region", status = "all")

cf_save_kml(all.auckland.st, "all_auckland_stations")

```



![All Auckland Climate Stations](tools/README-map.png)



Note the open stations have green markers and the closed stations have red 

markers.



## Download and visualise public climate data



The only station available for unlimited public access to climate data is the

Reefton electronic weather station (EWS). We can download the 2014 wind and rain 

data and easily visualise the results very easily.



```{r, rain-wind-example, echo=-1}

# Create a public user

public.cfuser = cf_user()



# Choose the datatypes

daily.wind.rain.dt = cf_datatype(c(2, 3), c(1, 1), list(4, 1), c(1, NA))



# Choose the Reefton EWS station

reefton.st = cf_station()



# Send the query to CliFlo and retrieve the data

daily.datalist = cf_query(user = public.cfuser, 

                          datatype = daily.wind.rain.dt, 

                          station = reefton.st,

                          start_date = "2012-01-01 00",

                          end_date = "2013-01-01 00")



# Have a look at what data is now available

daily.datalist



# Plot the data using default plotting methods

plot(daily.datalist)     # For the first dataframe  (Surface Wind)

plot(daily.datalist, 2)  # For the second dataframe (Rain)

```



For more details and reproducible examples, see the 

[technical report](https://stattech.wordpress.fos.auckland.ac.nz/2015/03/25/2015-02-new-zealands-climate-data-in-r-an-introduction-to-clifro/)

for how to use 

*clifro*, including choosing datatypes, stations, saving locations as KML files 

and easy, elegant plotting for various different climate and weather data.



```{r, eval = FALSE}

# View the clifro demo

demo(clifro)



# Read the 'Introduction to clifro' vignette

vignette("clifro")

```



# Contributor Code of Conduct



The *clifro* package is released with a [contributor code of conduct](https://github.com/ropensci/clifro/blob/master/CONDUCT.md). By participating in this project you agree to abide by its terms.



# Citation



```bibtex



To cite package ‘clifro’ in publications use:



Seers B and Shears N (2015). “New Zealand's Climate Data in R - An Introduction to clifro.” The University of Auckland, Auckland, New

Zealand. .



A BibTeX entry for LaTeX users is



  @TechReport{,

    title = {New Zealand's Climate Data in R --- An Introduction to clifro},

    author = {Blake Seers and Nick Shears},

    institution = {The University of Auckland},

    address = {Auckland, New Zealand},

    year = {2015},

    url = {https://stattech.wordpress.fos.auckland.ac.nz/2015/03/25/2015-02-new-zealands-climate-data-in-r-an-introduction-to-clifro/},

  }

```



[![](https://ropensci.org/public_images/github_footer.png)](https://ropensci.org/)