For Agents
List versioned files in a KNMI open dataset and fetch a temporary signed download URL to retrieve meteorological, climate, and satellite data.
Install Jentic One Beta
Jentic One is a self-hosted execution layer for AI agents. It lets your agent call the KNMI Data Platform API, or any other public or private API you need. You set the rules, the agent never sees your credentials, and every call is logged.
Two steps, two machines. Install the instance in a safe environment, then register your agent from wherever it runs.
Step 1: Jentic One Host machine
# On the machine that will host your Jentic One instance:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jentic/jentic-one/main/tools/install.sh | shStep 2: Agent machine
# On the machine where your agent runs (keep this separate from the instance):
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jentic/jentic-one/main/tools/install.sh | sh
jentic register # connects your agent to your Jentic One instanceJentic One is in public beta. The setup above keeps your agent separate from the instance, which is what you want before using real credentials: an agent running as the same OS user as Jentic One can read its stored keys directly. Just evaluating? A single local install is fine to start. See the secure deployment guide for the tiers.
What an agent can do with KNMI Data Platform API.
List all files in a specific KNMI dataset version via GET /open-data/v1/datasets/{datasetName}/versions/{versionId}/files
Filter and paginate through large file inventories using query parameters
Fetch a temporary signed download URL for any KNMI dataset file
GET STARTED
Use for: List the latest files in a KNMI radar dataset, Get a download URL for a specific KNMI satellite data file, Retrieve the most recent precipitation observation file, Find all files added to a dataset version since yesterday
Not supported: Does not handle real-time forecast computation, geographic point lookups, or paid commercial weather feeds — use for retrieving published KNMI open dataset files only.
The KNMI Data Platform API exposes open meteorological and climate datasets published by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI). The Open Data API gives programmatic access to versioned dataset files (radar mosaics, weather observations, satellite imagery, climate model outputs) by listing files inside a dataset version and returning a temporary signed download URL for each file. Authentication is a single API key in the Authorization header. The platform underpins research and operational pipelines that need authoritative Dutch meteorological data.
Pull radar, satellite, observation, and climate model files into a data pipeline
Drive automated retrieval of the latest dataset version for time-series analysis
Patterns agents use KNMI Data Platform API for, with concrete tasks.
★ Operational Weather Data Ingest
Hydrologists, energy traders, and aviation operators ingest the latest KNMI radar and observation files into their forecasting pipelines on a schedule. The list-files endpoint surfaces newly published files in a dataset version, and the URL endpoint returns a short-lived signed link that the pipeline downloads directly. This avoids hand-maintained FTP scripts and keeps the consumer aligned with the canonical KNMI publication cadence.
List files in dataset 'radar_reflectivity_composites' version '2.0' added in the last hour, fetch the signed URL for each, and stream the files to s3://weather-ingest/
Climate Research Reproducibility
Climate researchers reference specific KNMI dataset versions in published papers so that reviewers can re-fetch the exact files used in an analysis. The versioned files endpoint guarantees stable identifiers, and the signed-URL endpoint provides authenticated retrieval. Reproducibility-aware notebooks pin a dataset name and versionId so reruns always pull the same inputs.
Pull every file in dataset 'rd1_climatology' version '1.0' and store the manifest plus signed URLs in a research_inputs.json
Satellite Imagery Workflow
Earth observation teams retrieve KNMI-distributed satellite imagery files (Meteosat, Sentinel) by listing the dataset version and pulling each file's signed URL into a processing job. The two-endpoint surface keeps the integration tiny and the signed URL pattern means the team's API key never travels with the bulk download traffic.
List today's files in a Meteosat dataset version, fetch each signed URL, and feed the URLs to a downstream processing queue
AI Agent Weather Data Retrieval
AI agents that need authoritative Dutch weather or climate data call the KNMI Data Platform through Jentic. Jentic isolates the API key in its vault so the agent only handles dataset names, version IDs, and filenames. This is well-suited to research agents that need to cite a specific KNMI dataset version when generating an analysis.
Find the latest precipitation observation file in dataset 'observation_data' version '1.0' and return its signed download URL
2 endpoints — the knmi data platform api exposes open meteorological and climate datasets published by the royal netherlands meteorological institute (knmi).
METHOD
PATH
DESCRIPTION
/open-data/v1/datasets/{datasetName}/versions/{versionId}/files
List files inside a dataset version
/open-data/v1/datasets/{datasetName}/versions/{versionId}/files/{filename}/url
Fetch a temporary signed download URL for a file
/open-data/v1/datasets/{datasetName}/versions/{versionId}/files
List files inside a dataset version
/open-data/v1/datasets/{datasetName}/versions/{versionId}/files/{filename}/url
Fetch a temporary signed download URL for a file
Three things that make agents converge on Jentic-routed access.
Credential isolation
KNMI API keys are stored encrypted in the Jentic vault and injected into the Authorization header at call time. Agents only see scoped access tokens — the raw key never enters the prompt or the bulk download URL.
Intent-based discovery
Agents search by intent (e.g. 'list KNMI dataset files' or 'get a signed download URL for a weather file') and Jentic returns the two operations with their input schemas, so the agent runs the list-then-download flow without browsing the KNMI portal.
Time to first call
Direct KNMI integration: a few hours to register, handle the two-step list-then-URL flow, and add error handling. Through Jentic: under 30 minutes — search, load schema, execute.
Alternatives and complements available in the Jentic catalogue.
Specific to using KNMI Data Platform API through Jentic.
What authentication does the KNMI Data Platform API use?
KNMI uses an API key passed in the Authorization header on every request. Through Jentic, that key is stored encrypted in the MAXsystem vault, so research agents never handle the raw key in their context.
Can I download a KNMI dataset file directly via the API?
The download is a two-step flow. First call GET /open-data/v1/datasets/{datasetName}/versions/{versionId}/files to list filenames, then call GET /open-data/v1/datasets/{datasetName}/versions/{versionId}/files/{filename}/url to get a temporary signed URL and download from there.
What are the rate limits for the KNMI Data Platform API?
KNMI does not publish hard rate limits in the OpenAPI spec; the platform asks integrators to be considerate with high-frequency listing calls and to use signed URLs for bulk data transfer rather than re-issuing list calls.
How do I retrieve the latest files in a KNMI dataset through Jentic?
Search Jentic for 'list files in a KNMI dataset version', load the GET /open-data/v1/datasets/{datasetName}/versions/{versionId}/files operation, and execute it with the dataset name and versionId. Jentic injects the API key automatically.
Is the KNMI Data Platform API free?
Yes. KNMI publishes the data under an open data licence and the API is free to use after registering for an API key on developer.dataplatform.knmi.nl.
Which datasets are available through the KNMI Data Platform?
KNMI publishes radar mosaics, station observations, climate model outputs, satellite imagery (Meteosat), and seismological feeds. The catalogue is on developer.dataplatform.knmi.nl; the API addresses each dataset by name and version.