Weather Forecasting

(From Kids InfoBits Presents: Weather and Natural Disasters. Gale, 2009.)

Most people want to know what the weather is going to be. They want to know whether they need to wear a coat or carry an umbrella. Farmers, pilots and construction crews are people whose jobs are affected by weather.

The science of weather forecasting is called meteorology. Daily weather observations are made to forecast or predict the weather. Predictions of what conditions will be like depend on the temperature, air pressure, wind and other conditions.

In the United States, the National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts the weather. It issues storm warnings and provides other weather information to radio and television stations across the United States. Local meteorologists then provide a weather forecast to the public during their local newscasts.

Today, many high-tech devices, such as weather satellite photos, are used to forecast the weather. Using computers and weather data collected from around the world, NWS meteorologists track and predict hurricanes, tornadoes, snowstorms and even heat waves. These predictions can help warn people about dangerous weather, like a tornado, that is headed their way.