Web Map Service (WMS)

What is WMS?

This provides an interface for requesting geo-registered Daily air quality map images for London, Essex and Surrey . A WMS request defines the geographic layer(s) and area of interest to be processed. The response to the request is one or more geo-registered map images (returned as JPEG, PNG, etc) that can be displayed in a browser application.

Typical uses include:

Display maps
Add layers to GIS software

WMS URL

https://api.airtext.info/geoserver/london/wms

View definition

Available Layers

Layer	Description
NO2	Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂)
O3	Ozone (O₃)
PM10	Particulate Matter (PM₁₀)
PM25	Particulate Matter (PM_2.5)
Total	Maximum DAQI levels over the four pollutants above

Time dimension

The service is a WMS-T (Web Map Service with a Time dimension). The time parameter is an ISO 8601 timestamp (YYYY-MM-DDT00:00:00Z). The service provides maps for the current day and the next 2 days. All of the other parameters in a WMS request are standard parameters.

Coordinate systems

The data is stored in WGS84 (EPSG:3486) coordinate system, but can be requested in British National Grid (EPSG:27700) and others.

Consuming airTEXT WMS Layers

Our Web Map Service (WMS) layers can be integrated directly into web applications or desktop GIS applications.

Web Mapping Libraries (Leaflet)

When displaying WMS layers using JavaScript mapping frameworks, the library handles map tiling, bounding boxes (bbox), spatial reference alignment (srs/crs), and image dimensions (width/height) dynamically as the user pans and zooms.

Leaflet Example:

const airtextWMS = L.tileLayer.wms('https://api.airtext.info/geoserver/london/wms', {
  layers: 'NO2',
  format: 'image/png',
  transparent: true,
  version: '1.3.0',
  time: '2026-10-07T00:00:00Z' 
}).addTo(map);

View full leaflet example

Desktop GIS Software (QGIS)

To load airTEXT map layers into QGIS or other desktop GIS suites (such as ArcGIS):

In QGIS, navigate to Browser Panel → Right-click WMS/WMTS → New Connection…
Enter a Name (e.g., airTEXT WMS) and paste the connection URL: https://api.airtext.info/geoserver/london/wms
Click OK, expand the connection, and drag your desired pollutant layer (NO2, PM10, PM25, O3, Total) onto your map canvas.

Note on Client Parameter Automation: When using QGIS, OpenLayers, or Leaflet, you do not need to manually define parameters like bbox, width, height, or request=GetMap. The client software calculates these on the fly based on your active viewport and screen resolution.