Download & Convert IMD Weather Data Using Google Colab

Learn how to download IMD Gridded Binary Weather Data using Python or QGIS. Copy and paste the codes below and get the desired data from the IMD servers. You can also do this using the Python plugin in QGIS for detailed instructions visit this page.

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Step 1: Go to Google Colab

Open Google Colab

(You must have a Google account for this…)

Step 2: Connect to Google Drive

from google.colab import drive
drive.mount('/content/drive')

(make sure you use same google acout for colab and drive)

Step 3: Install the Library

pip install imdlib

(This will install imd library)

Step 4 (a): Download and Convert IMD weather data to .csv (Single coordinate)

This code will save the year-wise .csv file separately after conversion

(If you want to save the data in single file after conversion use the next command)

import imdlib as imd
import os
path = "/content/drive/MyDrive/Colab Notebooks"
start_yr = 1951
end_yr = 2021
variable = 'tmin' # other options are ('tmin'/ 'tmax')
imd.get_data(variable, start_yr, end_yr, fn_format='yearwise', file_dir=path)
for year in range(start_yr, end_yr+1):
    data = imd.open_data(variable, year, year, 'yearwise', path)
    ds = data.get_xarray()
    print(ds)
    lat = 27.25 #lattitude of point
    lon = 78.0 #longitude of point
    filename = f'{path}/{variable}_{year}.csv'
    if not os.path.exists(os.path.dirname(filename)):
        os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(filename))
    data.to_csv(filename, lat, lon)
    print(f'{year} {variable} data saved to {filename}')

Step 4(b): Download and Convert the weather data to .csv (Multiple coordinates saved in separate .csv files year-wise)

import imdlib as imd
import xarray as xr
import os
path = "/content/drive/MyDrive/Colab Notebooks"
start_yr = 1959
end_yr = 1962
variable = 'tmin' # other options are ('tmin'/ 'tmax')
imd.get_data(variable, start_yr, end_yr, fn_format='yearwise', file_dir=path)
for year in range(start_yr, end_yr+1):
    data = imd.open_data(variable, year, year, 'yearwise', path)
    ds = data.get_xarray()
    print(ds)
    latLong = [[27.25,78.00],[27.0,78.0],[27.0,78.25],[27.0,77.75],[27.5,78.5]]
    for points in latLong:
        lat = points[0]
        lon = points[1]
        df = ds.sel(lat=lat, lon=lon, method='nearest').to_dataframe()
        filename = f'{path}/{variable}_{year}_{lat}_{lon}.csv'
        if not os.path.exists(os.path.dirname(filename)):
            os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(filename))
        df.to_csv(filename)
        print(f'{year} {variable} data saved to {filename}')

If you want to save multiple years to the same .csv file then use the below codes

Step 5 (a): Download and Convert the climate or weather data to .csv (Single coordinate, Single File)

import imdlib as imd
path = "/content/drive/MyDrive/Colab Notebooks"
start_yr = 1951
end_yr = 2020
variable = 'rain' # other options are ('tmin'/ 'tmax')
imd.get_data(variable, start_yr, end_yr, fn_format='yearwise', file_dir=path)
data = imd.open_data(variable, start_yr, end_yr,'yearwise', path)
ds = data.get_xarray()
print(ds)
lat = 20.03 #lattitude of point
lon = 77.23 #longitude of point
data.to_csv('data.csv', lat, lon, path)

Step 4(b): Download and Convert to .csv (Multiple coordinates, Multiple .csv Files)

import imdlib as imd
path = "/content/drive/MyDrive/Colab Notebooks"
start_yr = 1951
end_yr = 2021
variable = 'tmax' # other options are ('tmin'/ 'tmax')
imd.get_data(variable, start_yr, end_yr, fn_format='yearwise', file_dir=path)
data = imd.open_data(variable, start_yr, end_yr,'yearwise', path)
ds = data.get_xarray()
print(ds)
latLong = [[27.25,78.00],[27.0,78.0],[27.0,78.25],[27.0,77.75],[27.5,78.5]]
for points in latLong:
    lat = points[0]
    lon = points[1]
    filename = f'{path}/{variable}_{lat}_{lon}.csv'
    data.to_csv(filename, lat, lon)
    print (f"data saved for {points} to {filename}")

How to Download and Convert IMD Gridded Binary Weather Data Using Python/QGIS