Project: Termux-Based Weather Alert System

Have you ever wished you could get real-time weather alerts straight from your Android phone without relying on heavy apps? If you use Termux, you can actually build your own weather alert system that runs directly on the command line. This project not only improves your coding and automation skills, but it also gives you something practical that can help in your daily life.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to create a Termux-based weather alert system using Python, APIs, and simple scheduling tools. By the end, you’ll have a working script that fetches weather updates and alerts you when conditions like rain, storms, or extreme temperatures are predicted.

Why Build a Weather Alert System in Termux?

There are many weather apps out there, but most are filled with ads, require constant internet, or track your location in ways you may not like. With Termux, you’re in control. You can:

• Customize the type of alerts you receive (e.g., rain, wind, storms).
• Run it automatically at set times with Termux:API or cron jobs.
• Keep your system lightweight compared to bulky apps.
• Integrate with other Termux projects like Quick Termux Projects.

This is not just about convenience. In a world where natural disasters and unpredictable weather events are becoming more common, staying informed is part of digital safety—just like protecting yourself from cyber risks in self-driving cars.

Setting Up Termux for the Project

Before diving into coding, you’ll need to prepare your Termux environment:

pkg update && pkg upgrade
pkg install python
pkg install git
pip install requests

With this, your Termux setup is ready. If you’re new to Termux, check out this guide on how to install Termux on Android to get started smoothly.

Fetching Weather Data with an API

Weather data doesn’t just appear out of thin air. You’ll need an API, such as OpenWeatherMap or WeatherAPI. Both are free with limited requests, which is more than enough for personal use.

Here’s a basic Python script that fetches weather data:

import requests

API_KEY = "your_api_key_here"
CITY = "London"
URL = f"http://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q={CITY}&appid={API_KEY}&units=metric"

response = requests.get(URL)
data = response.json()

if "main" in data:
    temperature = data['main']['temp']
    weather = data['weather'][0]['description']
    print(f"Current temperature: {temperature}°C")
    print(f"Weather condition: {weather}")
else:
    print("Error fetching weather data")

This script prints the current temperature and condition for your city. Later, we’ll expand it to trigger alerts when certain conditions are met.

Adding Alert Conditions

What makes this project useful is the ability to trigger alerts. For example, you can set it to warn you when the temperature drops below 10°C or when the forecast mentions rain.

if "rain" in weather.lower():
    print("Alert: Rain is expected. Don't forget your umbrella!")

if temperature < 10:
    print("Alert: It's getting cold. Dress warmly!")

You can even extend this to send notifications or play sounds using Termux:API or other lightweight tools. Just like you would protect against network threats, here you’re proactively preparing for weather threats.

Automating the Alerts

Manually running the script is fine at first, but automation makes it powerful. You can use crontab or Termux’s built-in scheduling:

crontab -e

Add an entry like this to run the script every morning at 7 AM:

0 7 * * * python /data/data/com.termux/files/home/weather.py

This way, you’ll wake up with the weather forecast automatically printed to your terminal.

Security Considerations

Just like with any project that relies on external APIs, you need to secure your API keys. Don’t share them publicly or push them to GitHub without using environment variables. If you’re curious about how security ties into projects like this, check out my post on cyber threat intelligence. The mindset is the same: stay ahead of risks before they hit you.

If you plan to scale this project, remember to apply the same principles businesses use in creating a cybersecurity plan. Weather alerts may seem simple, but when connected to automation and other IoT devices, they become part of a larger security ecosystem.

Expanding the Project

Once you get the basics working, you can expand the project in many ways:

• Send SMS or push notifications using Termux API.
• Display alerts on a small web dashboard with NGINX in Termux.
• Integrate it with automation scripts for IoT devices, similar to how attackers target IoT devices.
• Combine it with VPN usage for privacy, see my review of Surfshark VPN or the list of best VPNs to use with Termux.

Final Thoughts

A Termux-based weather alert system is more than just a coding exercise. It’s about solving a real-world problem in a practical way. You don’t just learn Python or automation—you learn how to apply technology to improve your day-to-day life. And if you continue expanding projects like this, you’ll gain the mindset needed to secure not only your phone but also future systems you work on.

If you found this project useful, I recommend also checking out cyber incident response companies to understand how professionals handle emergencies, and my write-up on computer security basics to strengthen your foundation.

Start small, automate often, and always think about security—whether it’s the weather outside or the digital threats online.