Current weather · Sep 22, 1:37 AM GMT+2
Ågotnes, Norway
10 mi from Bergen, Norway
51°
- High
- 57°
- Low
- 51°
- Precip today
- 75%
- Sunrise
- 7:24 AM
- Sunset
- 7:40 PM
Hour by hour
MET Norway, hourly to about 60 hours, then every six hoursScroll sideways for more hours. Pick an hour for every number.
Every hour as a table48 hours
| Time | Weather | Temperature | Feels like | Dew point | Humidity | Chance | Amount | Snow | Dir | Wind | Gust | Sky cover | Thunder | Pressure | Visibility | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 1 AM | 51° | 50° | 47° | 85% | 2% | SSE | 5 mph | 8 mph | 100% | 0% | 30.32 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 2 AM | 51° | 49° | 48° | 87% | 0% | SSE | 5 mph | 9 mph | 100% | 0% | 30.33 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 3 AM | 52° | 49° | 47° | 82% | 3% | SSE | 7 mph | 12 mph | 100% | 0% | 30.32 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 4 AM | 52° | 49° | 47° | 82% | 6% | SSE | 8 mph | 13 mph | 100% | 0% | 30.32 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 5 AM | 52° | 49° | 47° | 82% | 8% | SSE | 8 mph | 13 mph | 100% | 0% | 30.32 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 6 AM | 52° | 49° | 47° | 84% | 7% | SE | 8 mph | 13 mph | 100% | 0% | 30.32 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 7 AM | 52° | 49° | 47° | 83% | 7% | SE | 9 mph | 14 mph | 100% | 0% | 30.31 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 8 AM | 52° | 50° | 47° | 83% | 5% | SE | 8 mph | 14 mph | 100% | 0% | 30.30 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 9 AM | 53° | 50° | 47° | 81% | 8% | SSE | 8 mph | 14 mph | 100% | 0% | 30.31 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 10 AM | 54° | 50° | 46° | 78% | 11% | SSE | 10 mph | 17 mph | 100% | 0% | 30.31 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 11 AM | 54° | 50° | 47° | 81% | 17% | SSE | 12 mph | 21 mph | 100% | 0% | 30.31 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 12 PM | 54° | 51° | 48° | 82% | 15% | SSE | 11 mph | 21 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.32 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 1 PM | 54° | 51° | 48° | 81% | 10% | SSE | 12 mph | 20 mph | 100% | 0% | 30.32 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 2 PM | 55° | 52° | 49° | 83% | 12% | S | 10 mph | 20 mph | 100% | 0% | 30.31 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 3 PM | 55° | 53° | 50° | 83% | 25% | SSE | 11 mph | 18 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.30 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 4 PM | 56° | 53° | 51° | 84% | 24% | SSE | 11 mph | 19 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.29 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 5 PM | 57° | 54° | 51° | 82% | 38% | SSE | 13 mph | 22 mph | 93% | 1% | 30.28 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 6 PM | 57° | 54° | 52° | 84% | 40% | SSE | 12 mph | 23 mph | 98% | 1% | 30.27 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 7 PM | 57° | 54° | 52° | 85% | 43% | SSE | 11 mph | 21 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.26 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 8 PM | 56° | 53° | 53° | 91% | 50% | S | 12 mph | 20 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.26 inHg | — | ||||
| Tue 9 PM | Light rain | 56° | 53° | 54° | 92% | 72% | 0.01 in | S | 11 mph | 21 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.26 inHg | — | ||
| Tue 10 PM | Moderate rain | 56° | 53° | 55° | 96% | 75% | 0.02 in | SSE | 12 mph | 21 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.26 inHg | — | ||
| Tue 11 PM | Moderate rain | 56° | 53° | 55° | 98% | 69% | 0.03 in | S | 11 mph | 21 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.26 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 12 AM | Moderate rain | 55° | 53° | 55° | 100% | 51% | 0.03 in | S | 9 mph | 18 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.25 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 1 AM | Moderate rain | 55° | 54° | 55° | 100% | 39% | 0.01 in | S | 5 mph | 16 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.24 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 2 AM | Light rain | 55° | 55° | 55° | 100% | 39% | 0.00 in | SW | 4 mph | 9 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.24 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 3 AM | 55° | 55° | 55° | 100% | 41% | W | 2 mph | 7 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.22 inHg | — | ||||
| Wed 4 AM | 54° | 54° | 54° | 100% | 46% | N | 2 mph | 4 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.20 inHg | — | ||||
| Wed 5 AM | Light rain | 54° | 53° | 54° | 100% | 49% | 0.01 in | N | 4 mph | 7 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.19 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 6 AM | Heavy rain | 54° | 53° | 54° | 100% | 52% | 0.08 in | N | 5 mph | 8 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.17 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 7 AM | Heavy rain | 54° | 53° | 54° | 99% | 57% | 0.12 in | NNW | 6 mph | 10 mph | 100% | 2% | 30.16 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 8 AM | Heavy rain | 54° | 51° | 53° | 97% | 54% | 0.06 in | N | 9 mph | 14 mph | 100% | 6% | 30.15 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 9 AM | Heavy rain | 53° | 50° | 52° | 96% | 64% | 0.06 in | N | 10 mph | 17 mph | 100% | 6% | 30.14 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 10 AM | Moderate rain | 53° | 51° | 51° | 94% | 74% | 0.03 in | N | 9 mph | 17 mph | 100% | 2% | 30.12 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 11 AM | Moderate rain | 53° | 50° | 51° | 93% | 83% | 0.02 in | NNE | 10 mph | 16 mph | 100% | 2% | 30.10 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 12 PM | Heavy rain | 53° | 51° | 52° | 96% | 81% | 0.04 in | N | 9 mph | 16 mph | 100% | 2% | 30.08 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 1 PM | Heavy rain | 54° | 51° | 53° | 96% | 86% | 0.24 in | N | 9 mph | 16 mph | 100% | 3% | 30.04 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 2 PM | Heavy rain | 53° | 51° | 52° | 96% | 84% | 0.18 in | NNE | 9 mph | 17 mph | 100% | 3% | 30.01 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 3 PM | Heavy rain | 53° | 50° | 52° | 96% | 84% | 0.17 in | N | 8 mph | 17 mph | 100% | 10% | 29.98 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 4 PM | Heavy rain | 53° | 49° | 51° | 96% | 80% | 0.15 in | NNW | 11 mph | 19 mph | 100% | 1% | 29.96 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 5 PM | Heavy rain | 53° | 47° | 51° | 95% | 79% | 0.09 in | NNW | 19 mph | 32 mph | 100% | 1% | 29.95 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 6 PM | Heavy rain | 53° | 47° | 50° | 91% | 69% | 0.05 in | NNW | 20 mph | 36 mph | 100% | 1% | 29.97 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 7 PM | Moderate rain | 52° | 47° | 50° | 92% | 59% | 0.03 in | NNW | 18 mph | 33 mph | 100% | 1% | 29.97 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 8 PM | Moderate rain | 53° | 47° | 50° | 92% | 44% | 0.02 in | N | 19 mph | 36 mph | 100% | 1% | 29.98 inHg | — | ||
| Wed 9 PM | 52° | 46° | 49° | 91% | 28% | NNW | 21 mph | 35 mph | 100% | 1% | 29.98 inHg | — | ||||
| Wed 10 PM | 51° | 45° | 46° | 84% | 24% | NNW | 21 mph | 38 mph | 100% | 1% | 30.00 inHg | — | ||||
| Wed 11 PM | 51° | 45° | 45° | 79% | 29% | NNW | 22 mph | 36 mph | 99% | 1% | 30.01 inHg | — | ||||
| Thu 12 AM | 51° | 45° | 45° | 79% | 21% | NNW | 21 mph | 36 mph | 98% | 0% | 30.01 inHg | — |
The next 16 days
MET Norway forecast updated Sep 22, 1:30 AM GMT+2 to day 10, the mean of GFS, ECMWF, ECMWF AI to day 16- TodaySep 2257°51°Cloudywind 13 mph · gusts 23 mph
- WedSep 2354°51°Heavy rainwind 22 mph · gusts 38 mph
- ThuSep 2457°51°Mostly clearwind 21 mph · gusts 36 mph
- FriSep 2558°53°Rainwind 15 mph
- SatSep 2658°53°Rainwind 11 mph
- SunSep 2760°56°Rainwind 18 mph
- MonSep 2858°53°Heavy rainwind 13 mph
- TueSep 2960°57°Cloudywind 15 mph
- WedSep 3061°56°Cloudywind 17 mph
- ThuOct 158°55°Rainwind 15 mph
- FriOct 2~57°53°Model mean
- SatOct 3~57°53°Model mean
- SunOct 4~57°50°Model mean
- MonOct 5~56°51°Model mean
- TueOct 6~57°54°Model mean
- WedOct 7~51°48°Model mean
Right now
MET Norway forecast for this hour- Feels like50°
- WindSSE 5 mphgusts 8 mph
- Humidity85%
- Dew point47°
- Pressure30.32 inHg
- UV index0 · Lowclear-sky peak 2 today
- Sunrise and sunsetSunrise · Sunset · not yet up
- Moonrise7:01 PMMoonset 1:00 AM
- Moon phaseWaxing gibbous81% lit
The models, side by side
GFS Sep 21, 2:00 PM GMT+2 · GEFS Sep 21, 2:00 PM GMT+2 · ECMWF Sep 21, 2:00 PM GMT+2 · ECMWF AI Sep 21, 2:00 PM GMT+2Each line is one model’s own forecast at its own grid cell: three kilometers for HRRR, a quarter of a degree for the global models, which can sit a few hundred meters above or below the town. Where they agree the forecast is settled; where they part is where it is not.
| Day | NWS grid | GFS | GEFS | ECMWF | ECMWF AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today Sep 22 | 57° 51°0.06 in | 56° 54°0.13 in | 55° 52°0.07 in | 58° 52°0.13 in | ~58° 52°0.22 in |
| Wed Sep 23 | 54° 51°1.39 in | 56° 51°0.43 in | 55° 51°0.29 in | 56° 50°1.30 in | ~56° 52°1.20 in |
| Thu Sep 24 | 57° 51° | 54° 51° | 55° 49° | 55° 51° | ~56° 51° |
| Fri Sep 25 | 58° 53°0.23 in | 55° 52°0.36 in | 55° 53°0.19 in | ~55° 54°0.09 in | ~58° 54°0.23 in |
| Sat Sep 26 | 58° 53°0.21 in | 56° 53°0.04 in | 55° 52°0.16 in | 57° 51°0.04 in | ~58° 53°0.05 in |
| Sun Sep 27 | 60° 56°0.28 in | 57° 55°0.24 in | 56° 53°0.26 in | 58° 54°0.70 in | ~60° 55°0.10 in |
| Mon Sep 28 | 58° 53°0.50 in | 56° 54°0.74 in | 56° 53°0.24 in | ~56° 53°0.39 in | ~59° 56°0.85 in |
| Tue Sep 29 | 60° 57°0.18 in | 59° 53° | 57° 53°0.20 in | ~60° 50°0.40 in | ~58° 53°0.05 in |
| Wed Sep 30 | 61° 56°0.34 in | 60° 55°0.19 in | 57° 53°0.20 in | ~56° 54°0.39 in | ~67° 56°0.02 in |
| Thu Oct 1 | 58° 55°0.33 in | 58° 53°0.24 in | ~56° 54°0.14 in | ~60° 51°2.32 in | ~67° 59°0.96 in |
| Fri Oct 2 | — | ~53° 50°0.93 in | — | ~58° 51°0.52 in | ~59° 56°0.12 in |
| Sat Oct 3 | — | ~54° 52°1.05 in | — | ~55° 53°0.09 in | ~62° 54° |
| Sun Oct 4 | — | ~53° 49°0.38 in | — | ~55° 47° | ~63° 53° |
| Mon Oct 5 | — | ~49° 47°0.51 in | — | ~60° 50°0.01 in | ~58° 58°0.12 in |
| Tue Oct 6 | — | ~51° 50°0.44 in | — | ~60° 53° | ~59° 58°0.49 in |
| Wed Oct 7 | — | ~51° 48°0.44 in | — | — | — |
A ~ marks a high or low read from six-hourly steps, which miss the true extreme by a degree or two.
Health and activities
Rules of thumb over the next 24 hours of forecast, the warnings in force, the station’s report, air quality and pollenNone of these is a measurement. Each is a rating of the forecast ahead, and of what is happening at the point right now, against what the activity or the ailment is known to mind, and each names the figure that decided it. An ailment or a pest is rated as a risk, low to extreme; an activity, a chore or a journey as a condition, poor to ideal.
Each rating says which span it is for: the rest of today’s daylight, tonight, or the next 24 hours.
Health
- Arthritisnext 24 hModeratehumid
- Sinus pressurenext 24 hModeratehumid
- Common coldtodayLowmild
- FlutodayLowmild
- Migrainenext 24 hLowsteady conditions
- Asthmanext 24 hLowclean air
- Heat stresstodayLowmild
- SunburntodayLowweak sun
- Frostbitenext 24 hLowmild
- SleepingtonightIdealcool, quiet night
Outdoors
- RunningtodayGoodchance of rain
- HikingtodayVery goodchance of rain
- BikingtodayVery goodchance of rain
- GolftodayGoodchance of rain
- FishingtodayIdealfine conditions
- Boating and paddlingtodayGoodwind
- Beach and pooltodayPoorcool
- CampingtonightVery goodchance of rain
- StargazingtonightPoorovercast
Travel
- Air travelnext 24 hIdealclear skies
- Drivingnext 24 hIdealclear roads
Home and garden
- Lawn mowingtodayGoodchance of rain
- GardeningtodayVery goodchance of rain
- Outdoor entertainingtodayGoodchance of rain
- Drying laundry outsidetodayPoorchance of rain
- Painting and outdoor projectstodayFairchance of rain
- FrosttonightLowmild
Pests
- MosquitoestodayHighwarm
- TickstodayHighwarm
- Indoor pestsnext 24 hLowmild
- Outdoor peststodayModeratehumid
In words
Written here from the MET Norway forecastTonight51° · 8% · SSE 5–7 mph
Cloudy. Low near 11°C. Southsoutheast wind 8 to 12 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 8%.
Tuesday57° · 38% · SSE 8–13 mph
Cloudy. High near 14°C. Southsoutheast wind 13 to 21 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 38%.
Tuesday Night54° · 75% · S 2–12 mph
Light rain. Low near 12°C. South wind 3 to 20 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 75%. Precipitation around 3 mm.
Wednesday54° · 86% · N 5–19 mph
Heavy rain. High near 12°C. North wind 8 to 31 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 86%. Precipitation around 31 mm.
Wednesday Night51° · 69% · NNW 19–22 mph
Heavy rain. Low near 10°C. Northnorthwest wind 30 to 35 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 69%. Precipitation around 3 mm.
Thursday57° · 2% · NNW 8–19 mph
Mostly clear. High near 14°C. Northnorthwest wind 13 to 31 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 2%.
Thursday Night51° · 24% · S 4–11 mph
Partly cloudy. Low near 11°C. South wind 6 to 17 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 24%.
Friday58° · 56% · SSE 12–16 mph
Rain. High near 14°C. Southsoutheast wind 19 to 25 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 56%. Precipitation around 6 mm.
Friday Night53° · 44% · SSE 7–7 mph
Rain. Low near 12°C. Southsoutheast wind 11 to 12 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 44%. Precipitation around 3 mm.
Saturday58° · 42% · S 9–11 mph
Rain. High near 15°C. South wind 15 to 17 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 42%. Precipitation around 3 mm.
Saturday Night53° · 34% · SSE 10–12 mph
Partly cloudy. Low near 12°C. Southsoutheast wind 16 to 19 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 34%.
Sunday60° · 50% · SSE 16–18 mph
Rain. High near 16°C. Southsoutheast wind 26 to 29 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Precipitation around 4 mm.
Sunday Night56° · 64% · SSE 13–14 mph
Rain. Low near 13°C. Southsoutheast wind 21 to 22 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 64%. Precipitation around 9 mm.
Monday58° · 66% · S 11–12 mph
Heavy rain. High near 15°C. South wind 18 to 19 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 66%. Precipitation around 5 mm.
Monday Night53° · 58% · SSE 9–9 mph
Rain. Low near 12°C. Southsoutheast wind 14 to 15 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 58%. Precipitation around 6 mm.
Tuesday60° · 28% · SSE 9–14 mph
Cloudy. High near 16°C. Southsoutheast wind 15 to 23 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 28%.
Tuesday Night57° · 50% · SSE 15 mph
Heavy rain. Low near 14°C. Southsoutheast wind around 24 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Precipitation around 7 mm.
Wednesday61° · 36% · SSE 16–17 mph
Cloudy. High near 16°C. Southsoutheast wind 26 to 27 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 36%.
Wednesday Night56° · 52% · SSE 13–14 mph
Rain showers. Low near 13°C. Southsoutheast wind 21 to 23 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 52%. Precipitation around 8 mm.
Thursday58° · 48% · S 14–15 mph
Rain. High near 14°C. South wind 22 to 24 km/h. Chance of precipitation is 48%. Precipitation around 4 mm.
Thursday Night55° · SSE 12 mph
No forecast. Low near 13°C. Southsoutheast wind around 19 km/h.
Everything else on the grid
MET Norway · 15 elementsThe forecast office edits about sixty fields for every cell of its grid. The common ones are above; these are the rest, as the daily extreme, for anyone who needs the mixing height, the fire danger or the swell.
| Element | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chance of thunder max | 1% | 10% | 1% | |||||||
| Pressure min | 30.26 inHg | 29.95 inHg | 30.01 inHg | 29.96 inHg | 29.92 inHg | 29.81 inHg | 29.79 inHg | 29.88 inHg | 29.75 inHg | 29.67 inHg |
Sun and moon
| Day | Civil twilight | Sunrise | Sunset | Civil twilight | Daylight | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue | 6:42 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:22 PM | 12 h 16 min | Waxing gibbous · 81% lit |
| Wed | 6:44 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:19 PM | 12 h 11 min | Waxing gibbous · 89% lit |
| Thu | 6:47 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:16 PM | 12 h 5 min | Waxing gibbous · 95% lit |
| Fri | 6:49 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:13 PM | 12 h 0 min | Waxing gibbous · 98% lit |
| Sat | 6:51 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:10 PM | 11 h 55 min | Full moon · 100% lit |
| Sun | 6:54 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:06 PM | 11 h 49 min | Full moon · 99% lit |
| Mon | 6:56 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:03 PM | 11 h 44 min | Waning gibbous · 96% lit |
| Tue | 6:59 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 11 h 38 min | Waning gibbous · 91% lit |
| Wed | 7:01 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:57 PM | 11 h 32 min | Waning gibbous · 85% lit |
| Thu | 7:04 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:54 PM | 11 h 26 min | Waning gibbous · 76% lit |
Forecast from MET Norway’s Locationforecast (the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, CC BY 4.0), built on the ECMWF model and refined by MET, updated through the day; the written periods are composed here from its hourly data. Global model lines from NOAA’s GFS and ECMWF’s open data where they are ingested. Sun and moon computed here. Place names from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).
What is here
- Seven days
- The high, the low, the chance and amount of rain and snow, the wind and the forecaster’s words for each day and night, from the National Weather Service grid for the exact cell your town sits in.
- Hour by hour
- Temperature, what it feels like, dew point, humidity, chance and amount of precipitation, wind and gusts, sky cover, the chance of thunder, pressure, visibility and ceiling, as a chart and as a table, with nights shaded.
- Everything else on the grid
- The office edits about sixty fields for every cell. The ones the mainstream forecast pages leave out are here as a daily table: HeatRisk, wet bulb globe temperature, lightning activity, mixing height, transport wind, the fire weather indices, and at the coast the waves and swell.
- The discussion
- The Area Forecast Discussion the forecaster wrote to explain the forecast, in their own words, with the specialist annexes folded away. Also the office’s hazardous weather outlook.
- Beyond the week
- The Storm Prediction Center’s severe weather category for each of the next eight days, the Weather Prediction Center’s rainfall forecast to day seven and its winter storm severity, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for days six to fourteen, all read at your coordinate.
- Against the record
- Each forecast day beside the same date at the nearest long-record station: the thirty-year normal and the record high and low with their years, so a forecast high that would break a record says so.
- The next 90 days
- The forecast as far as the grid, the National Blend and the global models reach, and the calendar after that: the normal and the record for every date, with the Climate Prediction Center’s lean for the weeks, the month and the season drawn over them. No made-up highs for a date three months out.
Common questions
Where does this forecast come from?
From the National Weather Service forecast grid published at api.weather.gov, the same grid the local forecast office edits through the day and the source of every forecast on weather.gov. The written periods, the hourly digest and the forecaster’s discussion are the NWS’s own products, shown as issued. Nothing here is a blend a website made.
How far ahead does it go?
The grid runs seven days ahead, hour by hour for the first days and in three to six hour steps after that. The National Blend of Models carries the days to eleven and the global models to sixteen. Beyond that the page carries the national centers’ outlooks, severe weather to day eight, rainfall to day seven, and the Climate Prediction Center’s odds for the coming weeks, month and season, over a ninety-day calendar of the normal and the record for each date. No forecast has skill day by day past about two weeks, and this page does not print one.
Why is this different from the app on my phone?
Most forecast apps show a blend of models chosen by the company that makes the app. This page shows the forecast the local National Weather Service office issues, edited by the forecasters who will also issue the warnings, and it shows all of it rather than the six numbers that fit on a phone. The discussion explains the reasoning, which no app carries.
What is a place’s address here?
Every town has its own page, such as /forecast/us/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/, and every day at a town has one too. A ZIP code typed into the search goes to the town it belongs to. Any coordinate at all can be looked up, and the page names the nearest town.
What the weather actually was · Open the live radar · Where the data comes from