There are three main types of weather forecast information sheets; general synopsis, forecast

for sea areas, reports than coastal stations.

1. In general synopsis – The information is given about barometric pressure, position and
movement of weather systems such as; depression and anti-cyclone.
2. The forecast for the sea areas contains the information about the wind, weather conditions
and visibility in sea areas.
3. The reports from coastal stations include the information about the wind, weather conditions,
visibility, barometric pressure and tendency

Abbreviations;
Blue - b;
cloudy – c;
partly cloudy – pc/bc;
overcast – o.
Precipitations;
rain – r;
Heavy rain – R;
snow – s;
Heavy snow – S;
Rain followed by snow – r/s;
sleet – rs;
fog – f;
Heavy fog – F;
mist – m;
drizzle – d;
hail – h;
thunderstorm – tlr;
gall – g;
Heavy gall – G;
squall – q
Heavy squall – Q.

Wind: VAR
Gale is indicate by a tick V. Capital letter indicates the intensification of the specific weather
condition. / (SLASH) indicates a change and is read (followed by wed).
Visibility;
poor – r;
moderate – m;
good – g;
very good – vg;
Barometric pressure (tendency) ;
steady
rising
rising rapidly
falling
falling rapidly

Accurate weather forecasting is critical performance of seafarer’s job because safety of the
vessel, cargo and crewmembers depend on it. Weather can affect the vessel schedule by
obstructing and delaying voyages and slowing down the delivery cargo.
Weather forecast should be accurate and timely and it needs numerous measurements of sea
conditions from inshore and offshore.

Inshore Offshore

Weather buoy is a device that collects 1.Satellite is a device in the sky, that collect
images of large
weather observations, but in can’t be scall features of the weather surface (hurricane),
but it
everywhere so it is limited to near shore can’t show everything.
positions. It is hard to provide service 2. Observation made aboard ships at sea.
and it is cost-effectively a chored.

VOS – voluntary observing ship program recruits ships and provides training and guidance to
crewmembers on how to observe and report weather conditions. VOS facilitates two-way
communication between ship and shore and shore and ship.
VOS connects participating ships and weather prediction centers.

Participating ship Weather prediction center

Collects weather observations
Observation components; air temperature,
barometric pressure, pressure change,
wave height, cloud condition, wind speed
and direction and dew-point temperature.
Uses ship reports, supplement validates the info
rmation, that it received. Makes up weather
forecasts which are transmitted to ships in the
vicinity.

VOS – programs observations are used to produce marine charts, to plot the safest and the
most efficient courses for the ships (commercial routing service) to conduct climate scientists to
support work wide shipping trade and to increase SOLAS.
NOAA – national oceanic and atmospheric administration. Provides observing tools (weather)
reporting soft wave, hang books and training materials (for free).
Weather tools – thermometer, anemometer, barometric, hygrometer, weather balloon.
Weather observation is a matter of the officer because they should make these observations
while they are on their watch.

The officer collects the required observations and package this information in the soft wave and
sends.
There observations are made and transmitted every six hours (four times per day), these time
intervals are known as synoptic hour (0000; 0600; 1200; 1800 UTC – Greenwich Time or Zulu
Time.)

Thermometer is a device for measuring temperature ;

2. Barometer is a device for measuring atmospheric pressure.
3. Hydrometer is a device for measuring humidity.
4. Anemometer is a device for measuring speed of the wind.
5. Weather balloon is a device for measuring weather conditional height in the atmosphere.