Can any one tell me how to read and understand the weather news? I need to understand the terms.?

Question

I have the intention to daily follow up the weather news because I had got a new job which demands that I have to travel a lot. I want to use the link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/i/

I don't understand, for example, the difference between heavy showers and heavy rains. I don't understand many others symbols. I wonder if I could have a summary on that. thanks a lot.

Answer 1

Well it is kind of self explanatory, showers is when it rains for a brief period this can be on and off in which case they might say scattered showers such and such % chance. Then their are thunderstorms which is rain with lightning. The difference between heavy rains and heavy showers isn't much heavy rain is when it is suppose to rain harder or longer and there is a present storm. Heavy showers may not contain a storm.

Answer 2

Showery precipitation (Rain Showers) comes from Cumuloform type of clouds (the big puffy ones).  This type of precipitation is generally heavy than rain.  It is intermittent in nature, meaning it willstart and stop as the cululus clouds move over you.  Showery precipitation can last for minutes or extend through hours.

Rain is from stratiform type of clouds.  These clouds normall cover a vast area and are generally a solid sheet of gray clouds in appearance from the surface.  The rain they produce is continuous and typically lighter than rainshowers.

Rain generally lasts for hours or can extend through several days.  

BOTH types of precipitation can be present, as you can have continuous rain with embedded thunderstorms or rainshowers in the vicinity of frontal systems.