Weather Forecasting

In order to do this, information is collected on all the different weather variables from around the world. Weather stations, balloons high in the atmosphere, satellites in space and ships at sea all contribute by collecting the data we require. An example can be seen with this satellite photograph, taken by the Meteosat satellite on 20th March 2000. This shows radiation variations over the Atlantic and Africa, and material of this sort is used all the time in weather forecasts. For up-to-date satellite images, go to the Meteosat home page at the University of Nottingham.

Data obtained from all these sources is then fed into computers. The results are plotted on maps which are then used by meteorologists to forecast the weather all over the world.

However, despite all this data and information, the weather is still very difficult to predict. Forecasts are usually fairly accurate, and improving all the time, but they are still not perfect. Weather can change very quickly (for example, if the wind changes direction slightly the rain may pass over and fall somewhere else) which means the forecast can quickly be out of date. Sometimes it can also be difficult to collect all the necessary information at the right time, and incomplete or missing data can cause just as much of a problem. In this sense it is a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle – it’s not really complete until you have all the pieces!

In the Activities section there are a number of projects to help you build your own weather recording equipment. You will then be able to see just how accurate the local weather forecasts in your area actually are.

Before you do this though, click on the sunshine icon below to have a look at some of the instruments and equipment that are used to record and forecast the weather.