IQAir Air Quality Checker

Get real-time air quality data from the IQAir API with formatted output including AQI score, emoji indicator, and quality level.

Prerequisites

API Key Required: User must have a free IQAir API key stored in the IQAIR_API_KEY environment variable.

If the key is not set, guide the user:

1. Visit https://dashboard.iqair.com/personal/api-keys
2. Sign up/sign in and subscribe to the free Community plan
3. Copy the API key
4. Set it: export IQAIR_API_KEY="your_key_here"

Quick Usage

By city name:

python scripts/get_aqi.py Riga Latvia
python scripts/get_aqi.py London "United Kingdom"
python scripts/get_aqi.py Budapest Hungary

By coordinates (most reliable):

python scripts/get_aqi.py --lat 56.9496 --lon 24.1052

Nearest city (based on IP):

python scripts/get_aqi.py --nearest

How to Respond to User Queries

When a user asks about air quality:

1. Determine the location - Extract city/country from their query
2. Run the script - Use scripts/get_aqi.py with appropriate arguments
3. Return formatted output - The script provides emoji, AQI value, level, and location

Example interaction:

User: "How good is air in Riga?"

Response process:

• Location: Riga, Latvia
• Run: python scripts/get_aqi.py Riga Latvia
• Output: 🟢 19 - Good\nRiga, Latvia
• Reply: "Air quality in Riga is currently excellent! 🟢 19 (Good)"

Handling Location Names

City/country names:

• Use exact names as they appear in IQAir's database
• Capital cities: Often the state/province matches the city name
• If city lookup fails, try coordinates instead

Common location patterns:

• Riga, Latvia → Riga Latvia (state defaults to city)
• London, UK → London "United Kingdom" (quote if spaces)
• New York, USA → "New York" "United States" "New York" (city, country, state)

When in doubt: Use coordinate-based lookup with --lat and --lon (more reliable).

Output Format

The script returns a concise, formatted string:

🟢 45 - Good
Riga, Latvia

Customize your response based on the AQI level:

• 0-50 (🟢 Good): "Excellent", "Perfect for outdoor activities"
• 51-100 (🟡 Moderate): "Acceptable", "Sensitive people should limit prolonged outdoor exertion"
• 101-150 (🟠 USG): "Unhealthy for sensitive groups", "Children and people with respiratory issues should reduce outdoor exertion"
• 151-200 (🔴 Unhealthy): "Everyone may experience health effects", "Reduce outdoor activities"
• 201-300 (🟣 Very Unhealthy): "Health alert", "Avoid outdoor activities"
• 301+ (🟤 Hazardous): "Emergency conditions", "Stay indoors"

Technical Details

For API specifications, endpoints, and error handling, see references/api.md.

Rate Limits

Free Community plan limits:

• 5 calls/minute
• 500 calls/day
• 10,000 calls/month

Avoid making repeated calls for the same location within short time periods.