Which type of data is used to make weather maps and forecasts of weather? How are they collected?

Question

Which type of data is used to make weather maps and forecasts of weather? How are they collected?

Answer 1

Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a future time and a given location.

Weather forecasts are made by collecting quantitative data about the current state of the atmosphere and using scientific understanding of atmospheric processes to project how the atmosphere will evolve.

Surface weather observations of atmospheric pressure, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, humidity, precipitation are made near the earth's surface by trained observers, automatic weather stations or buoys. The World Meteorological Organization acts to standardize the instrumentation, observing practices and timing of these observations worldwide. Stations either report hourly in METAR reports, or every six hours in SYNOP reports.

Increasingly, data from weather satellites are being used because of their almost global coverage. Although their visible light images are very useful for forecasters to see development of clouds, little of this information can be used by numerical weather prediction models.

Meteorological radar provide information on precipitation location and intensity, which can be used to estimate precipitation accumulations over time.

Answer 2

In addition to surface observations and the satellite and radar observations, numerical weather prediction models and forecasters analyzing weather maps also use upper air soundings (the release of a balloon which measures weather variables as it climbs) and data from jets and other planes which are set up to measure and transmit weather data as they make thier ascents/descents into airports.  Data is collected both by human observers and automatic weather stations.  

Data is transmitted to a central hub via phone lines, satellite uplinks, etc. where it is either processed (via supercomputers) and distrubuted (via phone/satellite) out to forecast offices around the world.