raob_stations.py

import numpy as np

raob_station_list = 'http://www.raob.com/assets/downloads/raob.stn.txt'

raob_codes = np.genfromtxt(raob_station_list,
                           skip_header=9, dtype=None, delimiter=',', skip_footer=1, unpack=True)

nrow = len(raob_codes)
ncol = len(raob_codes[0])
raob_lat = np.zeros(nrow)
raob_lon = np.zeros(nrow)
raob_wmo = np.zeros(nrow, dtype=np.int64)
# raob_wmo = np.empty(nrow, dtype='U5')17609

for i, irow in enumerate(raob_codes):
#     raob_wmo[i] = str(irow[0]).zfill(5)
    raob_wmo[i] = irow[0]
    if irow[6].decode().replace(' ', '') == 'N':
        lat_sign = 1
    elif irow[6].decode().replace(' ', '') == 'S':
        lat_sign = -1
    else:
        raise ValueError('Unrecognised hemisphere {}'.format(irow[6]))
    if irow[8].decode().replace(' ', '') == 'E':
        lon_sign = 1
    elif irow[8].decode().replace(' ', '') == 'W':
        lon_sign = -1
    else:
        raise ValueError('Unrecognised hemisphere {}'.format(irow[8]))
    
    raob_lat[i] = irow[5]*lat_sign
    raob_lon[i] = irow[7]*lon_sign