Meteorologists forecast the weather based on information gathered from a huge variety of sources. To get the clearest picture about the weather, both people and technology are employed around the world to continuously take weather measurements. Instruments on land, at sea, in the air and in space feed the information into a global network, where it is accessed and analyzed by the world’s weather experts.
Meteorologists use a variety of tools to help them gather information about weather and climate. Some more familiar ones are thermometers which measure air temperature, anemometers which gauge wind speeds, and barometers which provide information on air pressure. These instruments allow meteorologists to gather data about what is happening near Earth’s surface. Collecting data from other sources—and other parts of the atmosphere—helps to create a more descriptive picture of weather.
Meteorological phenomena are observable weather events that are explained by the science of meteorology. Meteorological phenomena are described and quantified by the variables of Earth’s atmosphere: temperature, air pressure, water vapour, mass flow, and the variations and interactions of those variables, and how they change over time. Different spatial scales are used to describe and predict weather on local, regional, and global levels.
Meteorology, climatology, atmospheric physics, and atmospheric chemistry are sub-disciplines of the atmospheric sciences. Meteorology and hydrology compose the interdisciplinary field of hydrometeorology. The interactions between Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans are part of a coupled ocean-atmosphere system. Meteorology has application in many diverse fields such as the military, energy production, transport, agriculture, and construction.
The ability to predict rains and floods based on annual cycles was evidently used by humans at least from the time of agricultural settlement if not earlier. Early approaches to predicting weather were based on astrology and were practiced by priests. Cuneiform inscriptions on Babylonian tablets included associations between thunder and rain. The Chaldeans differentiated the 22° and 46° halos.
Ancient Indian Upanishads contain mentions of clouds and seasons. The Samaveda mentions sacrifices to be performed when certain phenomena were noticed. Var?hamihira’s classical work Brihatsamhita, written about 500 AD, provides evidence of weather observation.
In 350 BC, Aristotle wrote Meteorology. Aristotle is considered the founder of meteorology. One of the most impressive achievements described in the Meteorology is the description of what is now known as the hydrologic cycle.
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