How is the weather measured?
Determining the Weather
We can see what the weather is doing at any given time but how can we determine what the weather will do in the future? Meteorologists are scientists who study the weather. They work with special equipment that allows them to predict future weather conditions. The areas meteorologists study include:
There are many modern tools used to predict weather today. Most of these tools are used on the ground, others are attached to balloons, inside aircraft, on satellites or on ships or buoys that are floating in the sea. This range of places allows meteorologists to collect greater amounts of information and more accurate data to work with.
Weather is measured and predicted so that more accurate weather forecasts can be made. Forecasts can be seen daily on television, heard on the radio and read about in newspapers and on the internet. To give an accurate forecast meteorologists make thousands of observations and gain information from their equipment.
- moving air (wind);
- heat in the air (temperature);
- water vapour in the air that then falls back to earth (precipitation); and
- air pressure and the amount of water vapour in the air (humidity).
There are many modern tools used to predict weather today. Most of these tools are used on the ground, others are attached to balloons, inside aircraft, on satellites or on ships or buoys that are floating in the sea. This range of places allows meteorologists to collect greater amounts of information and more accurate data to work with.
Weather is measured and predicted so that more accurate weather forecasts can be made. Forecasts can be seen daily on television, heard on the radio and read about in newspapers and on the internet. To give an accurate forecast meteorologists make thousands of observations and gain information from their equipment.
How nature tells us about the weather
Before the development of sophisticated tools for measuring weather, people looked to nature for signs that would answer their weather questions. Farmers in particular watched the sky and the behaviour of animals to help them determine the approaching weather. Many of the signs were based upon superstition, whilst others proved to be accurate.
The more accurate signs of nature include:
A red sky at night meaning the next day will be fine
African guinea fowl pair off before it is due to rain, as it is believed they can hear the rumble of thunder hundreds of kilometres away.
A white ring around the moon often indicates that rain will fall in the following days, as the ring is made from ice crystals in the clouds.
Natural indicators which are less likely to accurately predict weather include:
Chirping grasshoppers indicate warm, dry weather.
Busy bees are a sign of clear weather.
Open flowers and pine cones also signify fine weather.
The more accurate signs of nature include:
A red sky at night meaning the next day will be fine
African guinea fowl pair off before it is due to rain, as it is believed they can hear the rumble of thunder hundreds of kilometres away.
A white ring around the moon often indicates that rain will fall in the following days, as the ring is made from ice crystals in the clouds.
Natural indicators which are less likely to accurately predict weather include:
Chirping grasshoppers indicate warm, dry weather.
Busy bees are a sign of clear weather.
Open flowers and pine cones also signify fine weather.