Polar Heatmaps in Python with Matplotlib

Using matplotlib patches to build up something beautiful

Polar heatmap showing the speed and direction of the wind with the colors representing the average temperatures in that bucket. (Image by author)

I really enjoy using Python + matplotlib not just because of its simplicity, but because you can use it to create very clean and artful images. One thing to let go of is using the predefined plotting methods in the library, but instead taking a look at the geometries and patches that are included in…