Transport and weather
| Weather forecasting process | Natural disasters and measures | Learn about weather |
Weather forecasting process
Meteorological observation: observation from the ground
Weather changes according to season or area. In order to report an accurate forecast, equipments of the meteorological observation are placed all over Japan and they collect necessary information such as precipitation and force of wind. Observation data from foreign observatories is also gathered. And ships at sea and drifting buoy help to collect information.
 
Tran
AMeDAS
AMeDAS
 
Drifting buoy
Drifting buoy
Weather observation ship
Weather observation ship
Photographs supplied courtesy of Japan Meteorological Agency
Meteorological satellite: observation from space
Meteorological satellites are used to collect the weather information that cannot be collected from the earth, for example information of unclear clouds and typhoon covering large area.
The meteorological satellite, ‘Himawari’ stays above the equator in the due south of Japan. It observes clouds around pacific area in Asia. The first satellite was launched in 1977. In 2005, ‘Himawari 6 (MTSAT-1R)’ was launched. ‘Himawari 7 (MTSAT-2)’ was launched as a back-up satellite in 2006.
The data from the satellites helps to mitigate meteorological disasters, for example damages by typhoon in Japan and other countries.
 
Tran
• Courses of typhoon in 2006
平成18年に発生した台風の経路
Gathering a lot of observation data
Observation data arrives at Meteorological Agency throughout the network instantly. The total amount of processing information there can fill up 2,000 pages of newspaper in a day. The data helps to produce basic data for weather forecast using the world's smartest computers.
たくさんの観測データをまとめる
Making weather forecasts
The basic data processed by the high-performance computers will be the main reference for weather forecast. But at this stage the data cannot be sent out as weather forecast.
Concrete information like isobar lines and wind direction lines on weather maps will be completed by forecasters.
And forecasters decide final forecast with results of the data processed by the computers.
Based on the weather forecast of today and the next day, they make weather report for a week.
 
Tran
Completing the weather map by a forecaster
Completing the weather map by a forecaster
 
Making the weekly forecast
Making the weekly forecast
Weather forecast is very important
Weather forecast is very important for your life. It is essential for especially fishermen and farmers who grow rice and vegetables, because it affects their living. Besides weather forecast of today or tomorrow, distribution forecast shows the forecast of the area nearby. Hourly forecast reports how temperature and weather will change within 24 hours. Through seasonal forecast, average data will be compared. Forecasts of cherry blossom flowering is one of the reports related to 4 distinct seasons in Japan.
 
Tran
 
Making the weekly forecast
Distribution forecast
Photographs supplied courtesy of Japan Meteorological Agency