EVANGELIO, EDDIE JR. L.

BSMT III- BRAVO

MET-O ASSIGNMENT
What Are Weather Symbols?

Weather symbols are graphical representations of a range of atmospheric conditions

commonly used during meteorological forecasts to display current and predict future
weather conditions. It is commonly used in conjunction with a synoptic weather map
but can be displayed separately as well.

Weather Forecasting Symbols

It only makes sense to start with the elements most widely associated with
weather forecasts, which are, off-course, the weather symbols. Let's take a look at
the most commonly used ones and what they mean. As you will soon see, the
same symbols can be displayed to describe different weather conditions by
various applications and services. This can be very confusing, so I attempt to
the most important weather conditions associated with them.

Sunny Conditions

The most well-known of all the weather symbols. This symbol, indicating sunny
conditions and clear skies, is also pretty straightforward and rarely used in any other
way than to display exactly these conditions.

Partly Cloudy (Day)

The day will be mostly sunny with patches of cloud cover during the day. The cloud
cover may grow larger or dissipate throughout the day, depending on future
atmospheric conditions, or simply put, "the way the weather is headed in".

Partly Cloudy (Night)

The night will be mostly clear with patches of cloud cover during the day. The cloud
cover may grow larger or dissipate throughout the night, depending on future
atmospheric conditions, or simply put, "the way the weather is headed in".
 Cloudy

The day/night will be mostly overcast, with no or very little clear skies visible. The
light color of the symbol normally indicates that no rainfall is imminent (yet).

Overcast

An indication that heavy cloud cover is expected throughout the day/night. This dark
symbol is often an indication that rainfall may be possible but not expected.

Cloudy With Light Showers

This symbol normally indicates cloudy conditions with light showers scattered
throughout the day. These conditions may continue to persist, dissipate, or grow into
heavier rainfall later on.

Cloudy With Showers

Slightly heavier and more persistent showers are associated with this symbol.
Normally these conditions also last longer and can be expected to last the duration
of the day, depending on the season and type of weather system.

Cloudy With Heavy Showers

As the symbol and description indicate, heavy, persistent showers can be expected.
As with normal showers, its duration will largely depend on the season and type of
weather system.

Thunderstorm

Thunderstorms with strong winds, lightning, and heavy rain can be expected. These
are one of the symbols that you should not ignore, simply due to the dangerous
conditions that accompany a weather event.
 Hail Storm

This symbol indicates a hail (water in its frozen form) storm. Hail is very often
associated with thunderstorms due to the similar weather conditions that produce
both.
Light Snow Shower

A light shower of snow (a cluster of ice crystals) is expected to fall. In areas familiar
with regular snowfall, this won't cause any concern.
If it takes place in a region that very seldom experiences any snowfall, care should
be taken to account for conditions that normally accompany snowfall, including a
sudden drop in temperature and slippery conditions.

Heavy Snow Shower

A heavy shower of snow (a cluster of ice crystals) is expected to fall. Regardless of

the location of familiarity, care should be taken to account for the potentially
dangerous conditions that accompany heavy snowfall.

Mist

Mist is nothing more than a high concentration of micro water droplets in the air near
the surface of the ground. When mist is forecasted, this usually indicates damp
conditions with variable degrees of low visibility. You should take this into account,
especially when you plan on traveling.

Drizzle

When a drizzle is predicted, it usually means a very fine form of rain will occur. The
water droplets can be very small, almost unnoticeable. It should not be ignored,
however, as it is often very persistent and can thoroughly drench you over time.

Sleet

When sleet is forecasted, it usually means a combination of rain and snow, and even
small ice pellets are expected to fall.
 Tropical Storm

This symbol, predicting a tropical storm, is not often used in a weather forecast.
When you do see it, however, you better sit up and pay serious attention. A tropical
storm is destructive enough on its own

Shipping Forecast

The Shipping Forecast is a BBC Radio broadcast of weather

reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the British Isles. It is
produced by the Met Office and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on behalf of the Maritime
and Coastguard Agency. The forecasts sent over the Navtex system use a similar
format and the same sea areas. The waters around the British Isles are divided into
31 sea areas, also known as weather areas

Station Model
A simplified example of a station model plot used to represent meteorological
conditions near the surface is shown in the accompanying figure. The station model
depicts current weather conditions, cloud cover, wind speed, wind direction, visibility,
temperature, dew point temperature, atmospheric pressure adjusted to sea level,
and the change in pressure over the last three hours.

The Range of Weather Information Available to Ships

There are various organizations located around the world that are responsible for
tracking maritime weather. The National Weather Service (NWS) branch of the
NOAA in the US is one; the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) branch of the
Met Office in the UK is another.

The World Meteorological Organization is an international organization that

provides guidelines for these agencies and offers information for international
waters. The WMO’s World Weather Watch networks observing stations to national,
regional, and global weather prediction centers.

“The World Weather Watch collects meteorological, climatological, hydrological and

oceanographic data from over 15 satellites, 100 moored buoys, 600 drifting buoys,
3,000 aircraft, 7,300 ships and some 10,000 land-based observation stations,”
reports the WMO. “This data has to be comparable and up to standards in order to
be usable by the prediction centers in the numerical weather prediction models that
produce daily weather forecasts and early warnings for natural hazards such as
hurricanes.”

Shipping companies and recreational vessels can choose to get their weather
forecast from any of these bodies; NOAA, for instance, offers maritime weather
forecasts via email or online. Private companies, too, provide weather forecasting
services — more on that in a minute.