In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation. Weather forecasts are better than they ever have been. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a 5-day weather forecast today is as reliable as a 2-day forecast was 20 years ago! This is because forecasters now use advanced technologies to gather weather data, along with the world’s most powerful computers. Together, the data and computers produce complex models that more accurately represent the conditions of the atmosphere. These models can be programmed to predict how the atmosphere and the weather will change. Despite these advances, weather forecasts are still often incorrect. Weather is extremely difficult to predict because it is a complex and chaotic system.
To make a weather forecast, the conditions of the atmosphere must be known for that location and for the surrounding area. Temperature, air pressure, and other characteristics of the atmosphere must be measured and the data collected.
The other type of satellite commonly used in weather forecasting is called a Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (POES). These types of satellites fly much lower to the earth, only about 530 miles, and orbit the planet pole-to-pole. You've probably seen these satellites at night when you see one crossing the sky. Look for their direction and odds are they are moving northward or southward toward each pole. Just like the weather satellites on the news, you've seen these images often when you are looking at natural disasters like hurricanes or volcanic eruptions, wars like have occurred in Afghanistan, Iraq, or recently in Syria. Even the Malaysian flight that "disappeared" in the Indian Ocean for weeks was ultimately discovered using polar orbiting satellites. Common types of these satellites include: Landsat, MODIS, and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM).
Surface weather analysis maps are weather maps that only show conditions on the ground. CC licensed content, Shared previouslyAll rights reserved content
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