Description
HD Weather Widget displays current weather conditions and multi-day forecasts with stunning high-definition backgrounds. Perfect for blogs, news sites, and local business websites.
Features:
- HD Quality: 331dpi weather condition backgrounds (48 unique conditions)
- 5-Day Forecast: Configurable forecast display (1-5 days or hide)
- Current Conditions: Temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction
- Multiple Locations: Unlimited widgets for different cities
- Modern API: OpenWeatherMap v2.5 with HTTPS security
- Responsive Design: Works beautifully on all screen sizes
- WebP Optimized: 92% smaller images with PNG fallback
- Shortcode Support: Easy integration into posts and pages
- Widget Ready: Drag-and-drop sidebar widget included
- Highly Cached: 30-minute cache for optimal performance
Modernized for 2025:
This plugin has been completely modernized with:
* PHP 8.2 compatibility
* WordPress 6.6.1 compatibility
* WebP image optimization (24 MB 1.8 MB)
* Security hardening (output escaping, nonces, HTTPS)
* User-friendly error messages
* Comprehensive admin documentation
Easy Setup:
- Get a free API key from OpenWeatherMap
- Enter your API key in Settings HD Weather Widget
- Use the shortcode generator or widget panel
- Copy and paste the shortcode into any post or page
Credits
- Original Plugin: John Grefe, James Steward – The Waypoint (2013)
- Based On: Awesome Weather Widget by Hal Gatewood
- Modernization: John Grefe & Evaline Grefe
- Weather Data: OpenWeatherMap API
- Weather Icons: HD backgrounds by The Waypoint
Screenshots
Weather widget displaying current conditions with 5-day forecast
Installation
Automatic Installation:
- Log into your WordPress admin
- Go to Plugins Add New
- Search for “HD Weather Widget by The Waypoint”
- Click “Install Now” then “Activate”
- Go to Settings HD Weather Widget to configure
Manual Installation:
- Download the plugin ZIP file
- Log into WordPress admin
- Go to Plugins Add New Upload Plugin
- Choose the ZIP file and click “Install Now”
- Click “Activate Plugin”
- Go to Settings HD Weather Widget to configure
Configuration:
- Get your free API key: https://openweathermap.org/appid
- Go to Settings HD Weather Widget
- Enter your API key and save
- Use shortcode examples or widget panel to add weather
FAQ
-
Do I need an API key?
-
Yes. You need a free API key from OpenWeatherMap. Sign up at https://openweathermap.org/appid. The free tier includes 1,000 calls per day, which is more than enough for most sites.
-
How do I add weather to a post or page?
-
Use the shortcode:
[waypoint-weather lat=”48.0624″ lon=”-114.0733″ units=”F” size=”tall” forecast_days=”hide” override_title=”Bigfork, Montana, US”]See Settings HD Weather Widget for complete examples.
-
- Go to Appearance Widgets
- Drag “HD Weather Widget by The Waypoint” to your sidebar
- Configure the settings
- Save
-
Can I show multiple locations?
-
Yes! Add multiple shortcodes or widgets with different locations.
-
Why isn’t the weather showing?
-
Common fixes:
* Make sure you saved your API key in Settings
* Wait 10-15 minutes for new API keys to activate
* Check city spelling (use exact names from OpenWeatherMap.org)
* Clear your cache (weather updates every 30 minutes) -
What units are supported?
-
Both Fahrenheit (F) and Celsius (C) are supported.
-
Can I customize the appearance?
-
Yes, via shortcode parameters:
*units– F or C
*size– tall (default)
*forecast_days– 1-5 or hide
*hide_stats– 0 or 1
*show_link– 0 or 1
*override_title– Custom text
*background– Custom image URL -
Is this plugin responsive?
-
Yes, the widget adapts to all screen sizes.
-
What browsers are supported?
-
All modern browsers. WebP images are used in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari 14+, with PNG fallback for older browsers.
-
Does this work with caching plugins?
-
Yes. Weather data is cached for 30 minutes via WordPress transients, compatible with all caching plugins.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“HD Weather Widget by The Waypoint” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “HD Weather Widget by The Waypoint” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.2.0 – October 24, 2025
Geocoding & Shortcode Builder Update
- NEW: Interactive Shortcode Builder: Build custom shortcodes with live preview in admin
- NEW: Geocoding Integration: Automatically convert city names to lat/lon coordinates using OpenWeatherMap Geocoding API
- NEW: Location Search: Find any city in the world with suggestions and selection
- Improved Admin UI: Step-by-step wizard for creating weather widgets
- Enhanced Documentation: Real-time shortcode generation with copy-to-clipboard
- Better UX: No more manual lat/lon lookups – just type a city name!
1.1.0 – October 24, 2025
Major Modernization Update
- PHP Compatibility: Updated for PHP 7.4 through 8.2
- WordPress Compatibility: Tested with WordPress 6.6.1
- Image Optimization: Converted all images to WebP (92.4% size reduction: 24 MB 1.8 MB)
- API Update: Migrated from defunct API v2.1 to current v2.5 with HTTPS
- Security Hardening: Added comprehensive output escaping, nonce verification, secure API calls
- Performance: Implemented 30-minute caching with configurable filters
- User Experience: Added admin settings page with comprehensive documentation
- Code Quality: Removed all deprecated PHP code (create_function, PHP 4 constructors)
- Error Handling: User-friendly error messages instead of fatal errors
- Layout: Standardized to tall mode (size parameter preserved for compatibility)
- Documentation: In-admin shortcode examples and troubleshooting guide
1.0.0 – December 5, 2013
- Initial release by John Grefe (The Waypoint)
- 331dpi HD weather backgrounds
- OpenWeatherMap integration
- Widget and shortcode support