Forecasted precipitation sensor

Configuration
1

How to create template sensor for forecasted precipitation (Openweathermap or Met.no)?
I’ve seen more than a couple of topics about it and all of them say to use attributes, what makes sense but I can’t find them in my integrations.
Met.no:

temperature: 10.8
dew_point: -1.2
temperature_unit: °C
humidity: 43
cloud_coverage: 19.1
uv_index: 2.2
pressure: 1022
pressure_unit: hPa
wind_bearing: 356.3
wind_gust_speed: 41.8
wind_speed: 19.4
wind_speed_unit: km/h
visibility_unit: km
precipitation_unit: mm
attribution: >-
  Weather forecast from met.no, delivered by the Norwegian Meteorological
  Institute.
friendly_name: met.no
supported_features: 3

and Openweathermap:

temperature: 8.5
apparent_temperature: 5.8
dew_point: 2.3
temperature_unit: °C
humidity: 65
cloud_coverage: 34
pressure: 1022
pressure_unit: hPa
wind_bearing: 16
wind_gust_speed: 18.54
wind_speed: 17.1
wind_speed_unit: km/h
visibility_unit: km
precipitation_unit: mm
attribution: Data provided by OpenWeatherMap
friendly_name: OpenWeatherMap
supported_features: 3

I would like to create sensor for forecasted daily precipitation and use it in my irrigation automation… How to do it?

2

You have to use the get_forecasts service

(see examples at bottom)

3

If you have more questions, feel free to ask. This is one of the harder things to do in HA.

4

Thanks for prompt replies.
When I was testing template in developers tools:

template:
  - trigger:
      - trigger: time_pattern
        hours: /1
    action:
      - action: weather.get_forecasts
        data:
          type: hourly
        target:
          entity_id: weather.openweathermap
        response_variable: hourly
    sensor:
      - name: Temperature forecast next hour
        unique_id: temperature_forecast_next_hour
        state: "{{ hourly['weather.openweathermap'].forecast[0].temperature }}"
        unit_of_measurement: °C

I keep receiving following error:

UndefinedError: 'hourly' is undefined

“daily” data type causes same error type.
“weather.openweathermap” is my OpenWeatherMap integration.

What am I missing here?

5

To be clear, the only template in what you posted is:

and in that circumstance, hourly does not exist because actions did not execute.

The only way to test that template in the template editor would be to run the weather.get_forecasts in developer tools → actions tab. Then copy the response data and set it inside the template. e.g.

{% set hourly = <copied response data> %}
6

Ok, so what is the correct work flow in this case?
For example:
1/ Action get_forecast at predefined periods
2/ Use above to set sensor value(?)

Do I need to do it in yaml or gui automation? I’m a bit lost here, I don’t get a logic…

7

The code you posted above goes inside your configuration.yaml file.

Testing it in the template editor is possible but not straight forward because you need data from a service call. The template editor does not run service calls, which is why it doesn’t see the variable and why it’s producing an error.

8

Thanks, I’ve got better understanding now.
The only thing which is strange that’s I created template entity with its unique id, I removed it later (completely) and that id is still visible in the system. Even more strange is that afterwards I created new template id with slightly different id and its state is visible/assigned to that deleted id…
How to sort it out?

9

If you used a unique id, you have to delete it in yaml and the ui. The unique id allows you to edit the entity in the ui.

10

Like I said, yaml is removed and in ui, delete option is greyed out…
I changed in ui old id to new id but this action duplicated in ui sensor belonging this time to sensor integration.
So, now I have 2 sensors with the same id (supposed to be impossible?), old one belonging to template integration, new (duplicated) to sensor integration… :thinking: and both have the same value/state and can’t be removed.

11

You have to wait for HA to realize the yaml is no longer present. It’s not a simple process because HA doesn’t know when yaml exists or not.

I have no idea if you’re referring to the entity_id or unique_id. It’s not possible to have 2 of either. The template entities under the hood append additional information to the unique_id, which means what you put in will not be what HA stores. So if you’re referring to unique_id, you will have 2 config entries at the end of the day. Unique_id’s are only unique within the integration. Separate integrations have separate information appended to each unique_id. This is done so things can remain unique in the system if the user accidentally uses the same unique_id inside 2 different integrations.

Entity_id’s will append _2 or 3 or 4 etc if the system detects the same entity_id being used.

12

To cut a longer story short:
Initially I had template sensor with unique_id “A”.

template:
  - trigger:
      - trigger: time_pattern
        hours: /1
    action:
      - action: weather.get_forecasts
        data:
          type: daily
        target:
          entity_id: weather.forecast_dom
        response_variable: daily_forecast
    sensor:
      - name: "Rain precipitation"
        unique_id: "A"
        state: "{{ daily_forecast['weather.forecast_dom'].forecast[0].precipitation_probability }}"
        unit_of_measurement: "%"

Removed that yaml template and sensor with that id “A” remains in gui and can’t be deleted (even with recorder’s purge).
I created second template sensor with unique_id “B”. That id is not visible in gui; instead sensor “A” shows state of sensor with unique_id “B”.
That’s why I’m a bit lost…

13

You’re mixing up unique_id and entity_ids.

The unique_id creates a unique config entry. Entity_id is what you as a user uses to target the entity in question.

If you create 2 config entries (which are generated from the unique_ids in yaml) that use the same entity_id, one will have the entity_id you want, the second will have the entity_id you want with an _2. This is what’s happening for you.

Go to developer tools → states page and you’ll see both entities or just one if the other doesn’t exist anymore.

EDIT: Your entity_id is derived from the name in your configuration. e.g. your entity_ids should be:

sensor.rain_precipitation
sensor.rain_precipitation_2

for A and B.

For future reference, you shouldn’t change your unique_id ever. Always just fix the sensor without touching the unique_id. This will retain your original entity_id and config entry without the headache you’ve created for yourself. If you can remember the original unique_id, I’d swap back and ignore the B configuration. Then in a couple of days when HA realizes B is no longer in the yaml, delete the b entity via the UI.

1 Like
14

Thanks very much for your patience. Now all makes sense.

Just for my knowledge, is it possible to use instead of unique_id, entity_id in template?

15

I don’t understand what you’re asking.

You don’t need to use a unique_id, but if you omit it, you can’t use the entity in the UI. That means you won’t be able to assign it to areas, change precision, update the icon, etc.