Why is forecasting (predicting) the weather important? „„
What is Weather?
Many people rely on the weather forecasts for the jobs they do. For example, farmers need to know if it is going to rain before they fertilise land, because rain can wash fertilisers off, which then flow into nearby rivers and pollute them.
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Measuring and recording the weather in a region over a long period of time identifies the climate of the region.
Can you think of any other reasons why forecasting the weather might be important?
Weather is the state of the atmosphere (the gases surrounding the earth) at any given time. Weather can be hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy.
Weather Stations and Gathering Weather Data
Weather Stations
A weather station is a facility that uses equipment and instruments to measure and observe the weather. Irish weather stations all around the country use technology to gather, measure and record weather conditions on a daily basis.
Managing information and thinking:
Locate your nearest
weather station and use this website www.met.ie/about/ weatherobservingstations to
investigate when the station was set up and what it measures.
Mount Dillon Markree
Knock Airport Belmullet
Newport Claremorris
Mace Head Athenry
Gurteen Agri College
Shannon Airport
Valentia Sherkin Island Cork Airport Roches Point Weather stations around the country 174
