Pages Menu
Categories Menu

Posted in Internet

Weather forecasts: are they reliable and accurate?

A normalcy in our era is checking the weather before leaving the house. Although we know that there is summer and the temperatures will most probably be high, we still do it. Maybe the habit is powerful. But have you ever wondered how accurate the data is? How is it collected? How is this even possible, to look on your smartphone and find out how the weather on the next few weeks will be? Many rely on the data on long-term perspective to plan their vacations. Well, you must first know that weather forecasts are less accurate as they prologue on large periods of time. However, the data is collected in a reliable manner, which makes the forecasts quite accurate. Below we have some pieces of information about this fascinating world of your local forecast weather.

How is the data collected?

Meteorologists use different types of equipment in order to record the data that will be the base for their forecasts. Thermometers, radar systems, barometers, rain gauges, wind vanes, anemometers, transmissometers, and hygrometers are some of the pieces of equipment used for this purpose and they all provide bits and pieces that put together result in what we know as weather predictions.

  • Thermometers are the equipment that is probably the most common. The liquid inside them expands and shrinks depending on the environmental temperature, and this is how the outdoor temperature is predicted.
  • Barometers are pieces of equipment that measure the pressure in the atmosphere. The pressure in the atmosphere increases with the altitude. For example, the higher on a mountain you climb, less air will be found.
  • Rain gauges are simple pieces of equipment that measure the precipitation quantity that is registered in a container.
  • Hygrometers measure the humidity that is registered in the air on a given location.

There are many other pieces of equipment that can be used for predicting the weather, and from them we can name weather balloons, satellites and weather stations. They all contribute to how accurate the data collected is, and therefore, how accurate the weather forecasts will be.

So, are weather predictions reliable?

Nowadays, they surely are. Local meteorologists put a great effort in providing the more accurate weather predictions and they always update weather report so their audience can enjoy reliable pieces of information. You must know that all the pieces of equipment above have evolved greatly over the years and the provide accurate pieces of information. They are put together by highly skilled and talented meteorologists and this results in reliable forecasts.

Although predicting the weather is a truly complicated matter, there are all kinds of factors that influence how accurate a forecast will be. Truthfully speaking, the complex matter of predicting weather makes it difficult to offer exact forecasts for prolonged periods of time. However, with wide time intervals there appear more discrepancies between the forecast and the actual weather. But still, these forecasts are great guidelines to follow if you have to plan a vacation, let’s say.