WeatherLink Has a Built-In Alert System

WeatherLink.com includes an alarm feature that lets you define threshold conditions and get notified when they’re triggered. For email, it works fine. For SMS, it depends entirely on which country and mobile network you’re on.

The Problem: SMS Delivery Is Network-Dependent

WeatherLink’s SMS delivery relies on partnerships with specific mobile network carriers in select countries. The Philippines — including the major networks Globe, Smart, and DITO — is not on that supported list. This means that even if you configure SMS alerts correctly in WeatherLink, messages to Philippine numbers are simply never delivered.

This isn’t a bug you can fix from your end. It’s a fundamental limitation of WeatherLink’s SMS infrastructure.

How I Found Out (The Hard Way)

I’m a Davis weather station owner based in Cebu. I spent an embarrassing amount of time checking my WeatherLink alarm settings, testing different phone numbers, and waiting for messages that never came. Eventually I dug into the WeatherLink documentation and community forums and confirmed what other Filipino users had also discovered: SMS to Philippine networks simply isn’t supported.

I needed SMS alerts for heat index and wind monitoring at my property. Email alone wasn’t enough — I’m not always watching my inbox. I needed a message that would hit my phone directly, the same way a text from a family member would.

So I built WL Alert.

What WL Alert Does Differently

WL Alert is an independent service that connects to your WeatherLink account via the official API, reads your station data on a regular polling interval, and delivers alerts through its own SMS gateway — one that actually works in the Philippines.

• Works on Globe, Smart, DITO, and other Philippine networks
• Fully configurable threshold rules — same concept as WeatherLink alarms, with more control
• Supports multiple recipients per rule — SMS and email together
• Custom message templates with live data placeholders
• Built and maintained by a Filipino Davis station owner who uses it daily

Is It a Replacement for WeatherLink?

No — and it’s worth being clear about this. WL Alert is not a replacement for WeatherLink. You still need your WeatherLink account to use it, because WL Alert reads your station data through the WeatherLink API. Think of WL Alert as an add-on layer that handles the alert delivery that WeatherLink can’t do in the Philippines.

You keep using WeatherLink for everything else — data logging, historical records, dashboard viewing. WL Alert simply handles the “notify me when X happens” part, via SMS channels that actually reach you.

Getting Started

The Free plan lets you connect one station, create three alert rules, and receive up to 50 email alerts per month — no credit card required. To unlock SMS delivery and higher limits, paid plans start at $9/month.

1. Heat Index Alert for Worker Safety

The most important alert for any farm with outdoor workers. When heat index climbs into the danger zone, workers are at serious risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke — and it can happen faster than people expect during the dry season.

Suggested rule: Heat Index greater than 42°C Recipients: Farm manager, safety officer, field supervisors Message: “Heat index at {{station_name}} is {{value}}°C. Limit strenuous outdoor work and ensure workers have access to water and shade.”

2. Rainfall Rate Alert for Irrigation Management

Overwatering after a rain event wastes water and can damage crops. An alert when rain rate crosses a meaningful threshold lets you pause irrigation schedules immediately — even if you’re not on-site.

Suggested rule: Rain Rate greater than 10 mm/hr Recipients: Irrigation manager, farm owner Message: “Rain rate at {{station_name}} is {{value}} mm/hr. Consider pausing irrigation systems.”

3. Wind Speed Alert for Spray Operations

Spraying pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers in high wind leads to chemical drift — wasted product, uneven coverage, and potential harm to adjacent areas or workers. Most agronomists recommend halting spray operations above 15–20 kph.

Suggested rule: Wind Speed greater than 20 kph Recipients: Farm manager, spray team lead Message: “Wind speed at {{station_name}} is {{value}} kph. Spray operations should be suspended until wind subsides.”

4. Low Temperature Alert for Cold-Sensitive Crops

Less common in the lowland Philippines but critical in highland farming areas like Benguet, Bukidnon, and parts of Mindanao — a sudden overnight temperature drop can damage cold-sensitive vegetables and flowers.

Suggested rule: Temperature less than 15°C Recipients: Farm owner, overnight site staff Message: “Temperature at {{station_name}} has dropped to {{value}}°C. Check cold-sensitive crops and consider protective covering if needed.”

5. Daily Rain Accumulation Alert

Knowing total daily rainfall helps you make better decisions about the next day’s field operations — whether soil is too wet for machinery, whether drainage systems need checking, or whether a dry spell is ending.

Suggested rule: Daily Rain greater than 50 mm Recipients: Farm manager, equipment operator Message: “Daily rainfall at {{station_name}} has reached {{value}} mm. Field conditions may be too wet for machinery. Check drainage and delay field operations if needed.”

Getting These Rules Running

All five of these rules can be set up in WL Alert in under 15 minutes. The Pro plan supports up to 40 rules across 10 stations with 2-minute polling — which is well-suited for an active farm operation that needs near-real-time awareness.

If you’re managing a larger operation across multiple sites, the Business plan supports 30 stations and 1-minute polling. And if your situation doesn’t fit neatly into any standard plan, reach out — custom arrangements are available.

Temperature vs. Heat Index: What’s the Difference?

Air temperature measures how hot the air is. Heat index — sometimes called “feels like” temperature — measures how hot it actually feels to the human body when you factor in humidity. High humidity prevents sweat from evaporating efficiently, which is your body’s primary cooling mechanism. When humidity is high and temperature is high at the same time, the compounded effect on the human body is significantly more dangerous than either factor alone.

Here’s a simple example: a 34°C air temperature at 70% relative humidity produces a heat index of approximately 44°C. That’s a 10-degree difference — and it’s the 44°C that determines whether outdoor workers are at risk, not the 34°C.

Heat Index Danger Zones

PAGASA and international weather agencies use heat index thresholds to classify risk levels. As a general reference:

• 27°C – 32°C — Caution. Fatigue is possible with prolonged exposure or physical activity
• 33°C – 41°C — Extreme Caution. Heat cramps and heat exhaustion are possible
• 42°C – 51°C — Danger. Heat cramps and exhaustion are likely; heat stroke is possible with prolonged activity
• 52°C and above — Extreme Danger. Heat stroke is highly likely

In the Philippines, it’s not unusual for heat index values to reach the Danger range during the dry season — particularly in Visayas and Mindanao from March to May.

Why Your Davis Weather Station Is the Best Tool for This

Unlike PAGASA readings or national weather apps that report conditions at airport stations or regional observation points, your Davis weather station measures the heat index at your exact location — your farm, your school campus, your property. Hyperlocal data matters because heat index can vary significantly across short distances depending on shade, airflow, and ground cover.

If your station is connected to WeatherLink.com, you can see live heat index readings in your dashboard. But seeing it isn’t enough — you need to be notified the moment it crosses a threshold that matters for your situation, even if you’re not watching the screen.

Setting a Heat Index Alert in WL Alert

This is exactly what WL Alert was built for. You can create a rule that monitors your station’s heat index in real time and sends you an SMS or email the moment it crosses your chosen threshold — whether that’s 40°C for a school’s outdoor activities policy, or 42°C for a farm’s worker safety protocol.

Setup takes under five minutes:

1. Connect your WeatherLink account to WL Alert
2. Create a new alert rule — select your station and choose “Heat Index” as the metric
3. Set your threshold (e.g., greater than 42°C)
4. Add your recipients — SMS and/or email
5. Write a custom message with placeholders like {{value}} and {{station_name}}
6. Save the rule — WL Alert starts monitoring immediately

A Note on Philippine Networks

WeatherLink has a built-in alarm system, but its SMS delivery is not available in the Philippines. WL Alert was built specifically to fill that gap — using an SMS gateway that works on Globe, Smart, DITO, and other local networks. So whether you’re in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, or a rural farming province, your heat index alert reaches your phone.

If you own a Davis weather station and want to start monitoring heat index with automatic SMS alerts, WL Alert’s Free plan is a good place to start — no credit card required.