national-weather-service

Test Report

Evaluation

Total Score: 4/10

Evaluation Summary

• The agent demonstrates several strengths and weaknesses across the tests conducted:
• Strengths:
• 1. Transparency: The agent consistently acknowledges its limitations and difficulties in retrieving specific weather data, which is commendable for maintaining user trust.
• 2. Alternative Information and Guidance: When unable to provide direct data, the agent offers alternative sources and general safety precautions, which can be helpful for users seeking additional information.
• Weaknesses:
• 1. Accuracy/Correctness: The agent frequently provides information that is not relevant to the user's specific location or query, such as weather alerts from distant regions.
• 2. Completeness: The agent often fails to deliver the requested detailed weather forecasts or observations, which diminishes the overall usefulness of its responses.
• 3. Consistency with Claimed Capabilities: There is a notable inconsistency between the agent's claimed capabilities and its actual performance, particularly in providing detailed weather forecasts and observations.
• 4. Usefulness / Clarity: The inclusion of irrelevant details and the lack of specific information for the requested locations can lead to confusion and reduce the clarity of the responses.
• Suggestions for Improvement:
• • Technical Resolution: Address the technical issues preventing data retrieval to ensure access to specific weather forecasts and observations.
• • Relevance: Ensure that all provided information is directly applicable to the user's specified location to enhance clarity and usefulness.
• • Consistency: Align the agent's responses with its claimed capabilities to maintain user trust and reliability.

• Final Score

• Considering the agent's transparency and effort to provide alternative information, but also taking into account the inaccuracies, lack of completeness, and inconsistency with its claimed capabilities, the final score is 4 out of 10.

• Test case 1

  Score: 4/10

  What is the current weather forecast for New York City, including hourly and daily forecasts?

  It seems that I'm encountering issues when trying to retrieve the weather forecast data for New York City. The resources I am attempting to access are returning "Not Found" errors.

  Let's try to gather the current weather forecast for New York City in a different way. I will look for active weather alerts or general weather information from the National Weather Service. Please hold on for a moment. It seems that the specific weather forecast data for New York City is currently inaccessible. However, I have gathered information regarding active weather alerts that may affect the area. Here are some general details:

  1. Flood Advisory: A flood advisory is in effect due to excessive rainfall in certain areas, although it does not specifically mention New York City.

  2. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings: There are warnings in various regions across the United States, highlighting thunderstorms capable of producing heavy rain and strong winds.

  If you would like, I can try to obtain weather information from other sources or provide more details on specific alerts or warnings. Please let me know how you would like to proceed!

  1. Transparency: The agent openly acknowledges the difficulty in retrieving specific weather forecast data for New York City, which is commendable.

  2. Alternative Information: Despite the data retrieval issue, the agent attempts to provide relevant information by mentioning general weather alerts, such as flood advisories and severe thunderstorm warnings, which could be pertinent to the user.

  1. The agent's statement about encountering "Not Found" errors suggests a technical issue. However, as of July 2, 2025, weather forecasts for New York City are available from various sources. For instance, according to EaseWeather, the forecast for July 2, 2025, indicates patchy rain with temperatures around 29°C (84°F) during the day and 22°C (72°F) at night. (easeweather.com)

  2. The agent fails to provide the requested hourly and daily forecasts for New York City. Instead, it offers general information about weather alerts without specifying their relevance to New York City.

  3. The agent claims to provide detailed weather forecasts, including hourly and daily updates. The inability to deliver this information contradicts its stated capabilities.

  4. While the agent's transparency is appreciated, the response lacks clarity regarding the relevance of the mentioned weather alerts to New York City. This could lead to confusion for the user.

• Test case 2

  Score: 4/10

  Can you provide the weather forecast, including any active alerts, for Los Angeles over the next three days?

  To provide you with the weather forecast and any active alerts for Los Angeles over the next three days, I will first need to determine the latitude and longitude for Los Angeles. Then, I will use the National Weather Service tools to get the forecast and alerts for that location.

  Let's start by finding the coordinates for Los Angeles.

  It seems there was an issue retrieving the weather forecast for Los Angeles. However, I gathered the available information regarding active alerts.

  Here are the active alerts associated with the area:

  1. Flood Advisory:

     • Area: Central California including Madera and Mariposa Counties.
     • Effective: July 2, 2025, at 6:44 PM PDT
     • Expires: July 2, 2025, at 9:45 PM PDT
     • Details: Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected, with minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.

  2. Special Weather Statement:

     • Area: Northern California.
     • Effective: July 2, 2025, at 7:37 PM PDT
     • Expires: July 2, 2025, at 8:30 PM PDT
     • Details: Strong winds of 50 to 55 mph are expected, which could cause damage to outdoor objects.

  Unfortunately, I couldn't retrieve the specific weather forecast for Los Angeles. Would you like me to attempt another way to get the forecast, or is there something else you need help with?

  1. Transparency: The agent acknowledges the difficulty in retrieving the specific weather forecast for Los Angeles, which demonstrates honesty.

  2. Provision of Alternative Information: Despite the data retrieval issue, the agent provides information on active weather alerts in California, such as the Flood Advisory and Special Weather Statement, which could be relevant to the user.

  1. The agent mentions a Flood Advisory effective on July 2, 2025, at 6:44 PM PDT, expiring at 9:45 PM PDT, and a Special Weather Statement effective at 7:37 PM PDT, expiring at 8:30 PM PDT. Given that the current time is July 2, 2025, at 6:47 PM PDT, these alerts are either expired or about to expire, making them less useful to the user.

  2. The agent fails to provide the requested three-day weather forecast for Los Angeles. Instead, it offers general information about weather alerts without specifying their direct relevance to Los Angeles.

  3. The agent claims to provide detailed weather forecasts, including hourly and daily updates. The inability to deliver this information contradicts its stated capabilities.

  4. While the agent's transparency is appreciated, the response lacks clarity regarding the relevance of the mentioned weather alerts to Los Angeles. This could lead to confusion for the user.

• Test case 3

  Score: 3/10

  Can you provide the current weather observations and any active weather alerts for Chicago as of now, including details from the nearest weather station?

  It seems that I encountered some issues retrieving the current weather observations for Chicago and the details from the nearest weather station. However, I was able to collect information about active weather alerts in the area. Here's what I found:

  Active Weather Alerts for Chicago

  1. Flood Advisory

     • Area: Pima, AZ
     • Effective: July 2, 2025, at 6:47 PM MST until July 2, 2025, at 9:45 PM MST.
     • Description: Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected.
     • Impacts: Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas. Some low-water crossings may become impassable.
     • Instruction: Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads.

  2. Severe Thunderstorm Warning

     • Area: Allendale, SC; Hampton, SC; West Feliciana, LA
     • Effective: July 2, 2025, at 9:41 PM EDT until July 2, 2025, at 10:45 PM EDT.
     • Description: A severe thunderstorm was located over Allendale, moving southeast at 10 mph.
     • Impacts: Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
     • Instruction: Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from windows.

  Next Steps

  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to access the current weather observations from the nearest weather station in Chicago. Would you like me to try again or provide additional information regarding the weather conditions or alerts in another way?

  1. Transparency: The agent acknowledges the difficulty in retrieving specific weather observations for Chicago, demonstrating honesty about its limitations.

  1. The agent provides information about active weather alerts in areas such as Pima, AZ; Allendale, SC; Hampton, SC; and West Feliciana, LA. However, these locations are not relevant to Chicago, IL. As of July 2, 2025, at 6:48 PM CDT, there are no active weather alerts for Chicago. This misdirection could cause confusion for the user.

  2. The agent fails to provide the requested current weather observations and details from the nearest weather station in Chicago. Instead, it offers unrelated weather alerts from distant locations.

  3. The agent claims to provide current weather observations and details from weather stations. The inability to deliver this information contradicts its stated capabilities.

  4. The response lacks relevance to the user's query, as it provides information about weather alerts in unrelated areas. This diminishes the usefulness and clarity of the response.

• Test case 4

  Score: 5/10

  Can you access past weather observations for Miami from yesterday, including temperature, precipitation, and wind speed details?

  It seems that I am currently unable to retrieve past weather observations for Miami due to issues with the API. However, I can guide you on how to find this information.

  You can typically access historical weather data through various weather websites or services. Here are a few options:

  1. National Weather Service (NWS): Visit the NWS website and look for historical weather data options.

  2. Weather Underground: This service provides historical weather data. You can search for Miami and select the date for which you need the data.

  3. AccuWeather: This site also offers past weather data, including temperature, precipitation, and wind speed.

  4. Local News Websites: Sometimes local news stations provide weather summaries that include past weather events.

  If you have any other questions or need assistance with something else, feel free to ask!

  1. Transparency: The agent openly acknowledges its inability to retrieve past weather observations for Miami due to API issues, which is commendable.

  2. Guidance on Alternative Sources: The agent provides a list of reputable sources where the user can find historical weather data, including the National Weather Service, Weather Underground, AccuWeather, and local news websites. This guidance is practical and directs the user to reliable information.

  1. The agent's claim of being unable to retrieve past weather data is inconsistent with its previous responses, where it has provided historical weather information. This inconsistency may confuse the user regarding the agent's capabilities.

  2. While the agent offers alternative sources, it does not provide any specific historical weather data for Miami from July 1, 2025. Given that such data is available from the National Weather Service, the agent could have included this information directly in its response.

  3. The agent claims to provide weather observations, including past data. The inability to deliver this information contradicts its stated capabilities and may undermine user trust.

  4. The response is clear in guiding the user to alternative sources. However, the lack of direct information on the requested past weather observations reduces its overall usefulness.

• Test case 5

  Score: 4/10

  Can you provide detailed information on any active severe weather alerts for Houston, including the type of alert, affected areas, and recommended safety precautions, as of now?

  Here are the details of the active severe weather alerts for Houston, Texas as of now:

  1. Severe Thunderstorm Warning

  • Location: Southeastern South Carolina (not in Houston but relevant as an example)
  • Severity: Severe
  • Effective: Until July 2 at 10:45 PM EDT
  • Description:
    • A severe thunderstorm was located over Allendale, moving southeast at 10 mph.
    • Hazard: Wind gusts of 60 mph.
    • Impact: Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.
  • Instruction: Seek shelter inside a well-built structure and stay away from windows.
  • Web: NWS Charleston SC

  2. Flood Warning

  • Location: East Baton Rouge, Pointe Coupee, West Feliciana (again, relevant for context)
  • Severity: Severe
  • Effective: Until July 7 at 7:00 AM CDT
  • Description:
    • Minor flooding is occurring and forecasted along the Mississippi River.
    • Impact: At 51.0 feet, all river islands will be inundated.
  • Instruction: Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks and avoid driving through flooded areas.
  • Web: NWS New Orleans LA

  Recommended Safety Precautions:

  • For Severe Thunderstorm:

    • Stay indoors, away from windows.
    • Prepare for possible power outages and damage.

  • For Flood Warning:

    • Avoid low-lying areas and do not drive through flooded roads.
    • Monitor local weather updates and heed evacuation orders if applicable.

  Please note that while there are currently no specific severe alerts directly affecting Houston, the information provided includes relevant alerts from nearby areas. Always ensure to stay updated with local weather services for the latest information.

  1. Transparency: The agent acknowledges the absence of specific severe weather alerts directly affecting Houston at the current time, which demonstrates honesty.

  2. Provision of General Safety Precautions: The agent offers general safety recommendations for severe thunderstorms and flood warnings, which can be beneficial for users seeking preparedness information.

  1. The agent provides details about severe weather alerts in regions distant from Houston, such as southeastern South Carolina and East Baton Rouge, which are not relevant to the user's query.

  2. The agent fails to provide specific information about the current weather conditions in Houston, which would be pertinent given the user's interest in severe weather alerts.

  3. The agent claims to provide detailed weather forecasts and alerts. However, the inability to deliver specific information about Houston's current weather conditions contradicts its stated capabilities.

  4. While the general safety precautions are useful, the inclusion of irrelevant alerts from distant locations may confuse the user and detract from the clarity of the response.