Weather

Weather Forecasting

Weather refers to the short-term conditions in the atmosphere. It describes what is happening with the weather at a specific time and place. A weather forecast predicts what the weather will be like in the near future. Forecasts are used by air traffic controllers and other professionals to plan their operations.

Weather Instruments

Weather stations are places where various instruments are used to measure and record different aspects of the weather. These measurements help in predicting future weather conditions. Tools in weather stations include:

• Anemometer: Measures wind speed in kilometres per hour (km/h) or knots using rotating cups.
• Aneroid Barometer: Measures atmospheric pressure in millibars (mb) or hectopascals (hPa). This helps predict weather changes.
• Maximum and Minimum Thermometer: Measures the highest and lowest temperatures in a day, recorded in degrees Celsius (°C).
• Wind Vane: Indicates the direction of the wind, showing compass directions (north, south, east, west).
• Rain Gauge: Measures the amount of precipitation (rainfall) in millimetres (mm) by collecting and measuring rainwater.
• Campbell-Stokes Sunshine Recorder: Measures the duration of sunshine by using a glass ball to burn marks on a heat-sensitive paper, recording hours of sunshine.
• Wet and Dry Bulb Thermometer (Hygrometer): Measures humidity by comparing the temperatures of a wet and a dry thermometer, providing relative humidity as a percentage (% RH).
• Stevenson Screen: A shelter for weather instruments, protecting them from direct sunlight and rain while allowing air to circulate.

Weather Maps

Weather maps use lines to connect areas with the same weather conditions. These lines are named based on the specific weather data they represent:

• Isotherms: Lines showing areas with equal temperature.
• Isobars: Lines showing areas with equal air pressure.
• Isohels: Lines showing areas with equal sunshine hours.
• Isohyets: Lines showing areas with equal rainfall.
• Isotachs: Lines showing areas with equal wind speed.