Why can’t meteorologists call the weather correctly every time? Blame the battle of the weather models.
Images created by NASA with satellite data helped the U.S. Department of Agriculture analyze outbreak patterns for southern pine beetles in Alabama, in spring 2016.
NASA
Big data open-access publishing and other advances offer ecologists the ability to forecast events like pest outbreaks over days and seasons rather than decades. But scholars need to seize this opportunity.
Knowing about hailstones in advance would be preferable.
AAP Image/Dan Peled
Cape Town promised alternative water sources with the ongoing drought being declared a disaster. Its main strategy is water rationing but climate models are also being used.
The rainfall from Harvey has now exceeded the amount from the previous record-bearer, Tropical Storm Amelia in 1978.
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
Meteorology researchers across the country are prepping experiments for the mini-night the eclipse will bring on August 21 – two minutes and 36 seconds without the sun in the middle of the day.
The stereotype of the conventionally attractive female weather reporter is alive and well on Australian television.
Azuzl/shutterstock.com
The weather segment at the end of news bulletins has stuck to a familiar format for more than 50 years. But the question of who should actually present the weather has been in a constant state of flux.
Farmers don’t get efficient information on weather changes, improving data can change this.
Flickr/CDKNetwork
Information to weather changes is often unavailable to Africa’s farmers and even if it does exist, the quality is poor or inaccessible to those who need it most.
Floods in places such as Queensland may depend on how soaked the catchment is, not just on how much it rains.
AAP Image/Dan Peled
Analysis of flood gauge data suggest that floods are becoming less frequent in many parts of the world. Despite that, more people and property are at risk, particularly in developing countries.
Hurricane Matthew approaching the east coast of Florida on Oct. 6, 2016.
Two atmospheric scientists explain how they weigh evidence such as ocean temperatures, wind speeds and other climate patterns to predict how many Atlantic hurricanes are likely to form this year.
All tropical cyclones in the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, with their locations shown at six-hour intervals and color representing maximum wind speed.
Cyclonebiskit/Wikipedia
Major hurricanes threaten millions of people and billions of dollars in property along the Atlantic coast. Here experts advise on preparing, understanding forecasts and recovering after a storm.
Debris litters the neighborhood where multiple members of the same family were killed in a tornado in Beauregard, Ala., March 5, 2019.
AP Photo/David Goldman
Tornado forecasting has greatly improved in recent decades, but these dangerous storms can still take communities by surprise. Two meteorologists explain what causes tornadoes and how to stay safe.
High-quality climate records only go back to the start of the 20th century. But using handwritten letters, journals and tables, researchers have access to data going back to the 18th century.
Sixteen of the 17 hottest years have occurred this century and we know it’s because of a changing climate, not changes in weather.
For the third consecutive year, it’s the hottest year ever. A climate scientist explains how these predictions are made and why they’re completely different from forecasting the weather.
A big part of South Africa’s appeal lies in its good weather. Climate change poses a risk to the tourism industry.
IMAGE REUTERS/Mike Hutchings
South Africa’s weather is very attractive to international visitors. Climate change could alter their perceptions unless mitigation strategies are put in place.
NASA Earth Science Division operating missions, including systems managed by NOAA and USGS.
NASA Earth Observing System
President Trump’s 2018 budget request cuts funding for NASA Earth observation research and cancels four missions. Weather forecasters, businesses, scientists and the armed forces rely on this data.
Damage from Hurricane Matthew in North Charleston, South Carolina, October 2016.
Ryan Johnson/Flickr
Conservative commentators accused government officials last week of hyping risks from Hurricane Matthew. A meteorologist explains why this is impossible in the internet era.
Data about farms’ financial situation as well as the weather could help identify those most vulnerable to drought.
Bidgee/Wikimedia Commons
January hurricanes are rare events, but two have already formed this month. Atmospheric scientist Adam Sobel explains the conditions that generated Pali and Alex.