Weather Dashboard PWA

Overview

A beautiful and functional weather dashboard that provides real-time weather information, forecasts, and weather trends. Built as a Progressive Web App (PWA) for offline functionality and installability.

Features

Weather Information

• Current Weather - Real-time temperature, conditions, and "feels like"
• 5-Day Forecast - Extended forecast with daily highs and lows
• Hourly Forecast - 24-hour detailed forecast
• Weather Maps - Interactive radar and satellite maps
• Multiple Locations - Save and switch between favorite locations

Visual Elements

• Dynamic Backgrounds - Changes based on weather conditions
• Weather Icons - Custom animated weather icons
• Charts & Graphs - Temperature trends and precipitation charts
• Wind Visualization - Animated wind direction and speed indicators

PWA Features

• Offline Mode - Works without internet connection
• Installable - Add to home screen on mobile and desktop
• Push Notifications - Weather alerts and daily forecasts
• Background Sync - Updates data when connection restored

Technical Stack

Frontend

• React - UI library
• TypeScript - Type safety
• Styled Components - CSS-in-JS styling
• Chart.js - Data visualization
• Workbox - Service worker management

APIs & Services

• OpenWeather API - Weather data
• Mapbox - Interactive maps
• Geolocation API - User location
• Push API - Notifications

Implementation Details

Service Worker Setup

// Service worker for offline functionality
self.addEventListener('install', (event) => {
  event.waitUntil(
    caches.open('weather-v1').then((cache) => {
      return cache.addAll([
        '/',
        '/static/css/main.css',
        '/static/js/main.js',
        '/offline.html'
      ])
    })
  )
})

Location Management

interface Location {
  id: string
  name: string
  coordinates: {
    lat: number
    lon: number
  }
  timezone: string
  isCurrent: boolean
}

Weather Data Caching

Implemented intelligent caching strategy:

• Cache weather data for 10 minutes
• Cache location data indefinitely
• Cache map tiles for 24 hours

Design Decisions

User Interface

• Mobile First - Designed for mobile, scaled for desktop
• Dark Mode - Automatic based on time of day
• Accessibility - ARIA labels and keyboard navigation
• Responsive - Adapts to all screen sizes

Performance Optimizations

• Code Splitting - Lazy load components
• Image Optimization - WebP with fallbacks
• Data Compression - Gzip API responses
• Request Batching - Combine multiple API calls

Challenges Overcome

API Rate Limiting

Implemented caching and request queuing to stay within API limits while providing real-time updates.

Cross-Browser Compatibility

Ensured consistent experience across different browsers, including fallbacks for unsupported features.

Offline Data Sync

Created robust sync mechanism to handle data updates when transitioning between online and offline states.

Results & Metrics

• Page Load: < 1.5s on 3G
• Lighthouse Score: 95+ across all categories
• Install Rate: 40% of regular users
• Daily Active Users: 2,000+
• User Rating: 4.8/5 stars

User Feedback

"The offline functionality is amazing! I can check weather even without internet." - User Review

"Love the clean design and accurate forecasts. The PWA install is seamless." - App Store Review

Future Enhancements

• AI Weather Insights - Personalized weather recommendations
• Social Features - Share weather updates
• Widget Support - Home screen widgets
• Apple Watch App - Companion app for wearables
• Weather History - Historical weather data and trends

Lessons Learned

• PWA features significantly improve user engagement
• Caching strategies are crucial for performance
• Visual weather representation enhances user experience
• Offline functionality is highly valued by users

Live Demo

Try the live demo to experience the weather dashboard in action. Install it as a PWA for the full experience!