weather [n.]

the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards temperature, wind, rain, etc..
- ORIGIN Old English.

Oxford Dictionaries

Weather affects everyone. It ranges from searing heat to freezing cold, hot and dry to cold and wet and everything in between. There are many different types of weather. A variety are covered here, ranging from snow to rainbows and beyond. The study of weather is not an exact science as we are often unable to predict the effect of weather types and patterns, though it is becoming more so as technology is further refined.

Related topics such as Environment and Climate Change can be accessed via the Science Introduction page.

This page provides information about aspects of weather ranging from clouds to temperature, rainbows to hurricanes, El Niño to the Indian Ocean Dipole, snow to lightning. There are also weather images and tools plus general weather information.

The Second Page provides information about Australian weather, people and groups involved with this and world weather information and data sources.

Each of these pages can also be reached using the numbered boxes above.

The News and Newspapers pages may provide breaking news, events and more in this area.

Weather Information

Clouds

• Bad Clouds
• The Cloud Appreciation Society
  Cloud art, cloud of the month, cloud gallery, cloud verse, more from people who love clouds.
• Cloudman’s Gallery of Clouds
  Formations, pictures, information, more.
• Clouds
  Pictures & information.
• Clouds [2]
  Bureau of Meteorology, Australia.
• Clouds and Precipitation
• Cloud Photography
• Dan’s Wild Wild Weather Page
• Fractal Clouds Info
  Annotated links to sites.
• In the Clouds
  Photography.
• Introduction to Clouds
  Importance, relationship to weather.
• Lenticular Clouds - World Holographics
  Fabulous photos.
• Noctilucent Clouds FAQs
  Also check this site.
• Noctilucent Clouds
  Australian Antarctic Division. Information about these in the southern hemisphere.
• PSC Cloud Boutique
  Basic cloud forms.
• What are Clouds ?

El Niño

• El Niño and La Niña Information
  Information links under a series of headings and questions.
• El Niño and La Niña - What’s The Difference ?
  ‘Join us as Cucamonga Middle School Sci-Tech Club explores the weather phenomenon known as El Niño and La Niña’.
• El Niño Research, Forecasts and Observations
  There is also a separate page for La Niña .
• El Niño Southern Oscillation Resources
• Franklin’s Forecast
  Different weather conditions, the causes of El Niño, construct a weather station, links.
• Sky, Water, Weather
  Developed to try and improve weather predictions. Good information on El Niño and La Niña.

General Sites

• Forces of Nature
  A Thinkquest site. Natural phenomena to be found around our world. Case studies, predictions, galleries, interactive resources. Develop understanding and appreciation of the natural world.
• JetStream - An Online Weather School
  ‘Designed to help educators, emergency managers, or anyone interested in learning about weather and weather safety. [I]nformation … is arranged by subject; beginning with global and large scale weather patterns followed by lessons on air masses, wind patterns, cloud formations, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, damaging winds, tornados, tropical storms, cyclones and flooding. Interspersed in JetStream are “Learning Lessons” which can be used to enhance the educational experience’.
• Severe Weather Guide
  ‘We have consolidated the information that may come with a weather report. We hope to help you distinguish the difference between a warning, advisory, or watch’. Eight areas covered.
• Weather Net
  Links to weather including data, movies, graphics, shareware, activities, projects.
• Weather Gone Wild
  Thinkquest. About wild, wild weather.
• Web Weather For Kids
  ‘Learn what makes weather wet and wild, do cool activities, become hot at forecasting the weather on Web Weather for Kids’.
• What’s Up With the Weather ?
  Linked to a NOVA/Frontline program, PBS America. Debate, effect of warming on water levels, carbon-dioxide effects, stories in the ice, program excerpts, FAQs, resources, links, teacher resources & planning.
• World Meteorological Organisation
  United Nations agency. ‘Authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, climate it produces, resulting distribution of water resources’. News, major issues, hot topics, publications, library, links/ Search by programs, topics.
  Brilliant !

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Graphics, Weather

• Images of Geologic Hazards
  ‘NGDC maintains a collection of geologic hazards photographs’. Covers major activities.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  Photo Collection. Covers general information, history, underwater, storms. 1 000+ photographs of weather conditions.
• OSEI
  Part of NOAA. Produces high-resolution imagery of significant environmental events linked to weather.

Hurricanes, Cyclones, Tornadoes, …

• About Tornadoes
• CIMSS Tropical Cyclones
• Cyclone Tracy Website
  ‘To inform people about the cyclone and its effects on Darwin, both short and long term. It is hoped that the details provided here will answer most questions people have about Cyclone Tracy’.
• FEMA [Ready] Hurricane Information
• FEMA [Ready] Tornado Information
• Fiji Meteorological Service
  Cyclone Information.
• How Hurricanes Work
• Hurricane and Storm Tracking
• Hurricane Hunters
• Hurricanes - Nature’s Greatest Storms
  Information on aspects including preparedness.
• Hurricane : Storm Science
  ‘Welcome to the storm center. Click on any title to find out more about hurricanes. For current hurricane data, consult our Hurricane Hotlist’. Teachers’ Guide.
• KNMI/ERA-40 Wave Atlas
  ‘Available on this server, provided Freely for research purposes’. Check conditions and requirements on this page.
• National Hurricane Centre [US]
• Southern Hemisphere Tropical Cyclones
  News, cyclone updates, photography, more.
• Tornadoes
  Fast facts, FAQs, forecasting, photo gallery, tip sheet, weather events, history.
• Tropical Cyclone FAQ
• Tropical Storms Worldwide
• Wave Atlas
  Wave size and direction during cyclones in the Great Barrier Reef area.

Indian Ocean Dipole

This phenomenon now appears to have as much effect on Australian conditions as does El Niño.

• Indian Ocean Dipole
  The phenomenon, effect on Australian droughts, further reading, references, links. From Wikipedia.
• Indian Ocean Dipole [IOD]
  Frontier Research Centre for Global Change. Select information from the menu on the left.
• Seasonal Characteristics of the Indian Ocean Dipole
  During the Holocene epoch. Access this through copies of Nature [445, 18 January 2007]. Looks at earlier examples of changes in the phenomenon that could be relevant today.

Rainbows

• About Rainbows
  Plain site, but with a lot of information, simple graphics. Very scientific background.
• Rainbow Colours
  ‘Traditionally, the rainbow’s colours are described as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. In fact, our eyes can discern many more individual hues’.
• Rainbows
  Visibility, scientific explanation, variations, scientific history, culture, distinct colours, effects to be distinguished from rainbows, notes, references, links. From Wikipedia.
• Rainbows [2]
  ‘Rainbows take many forms. Multiple bows, bows that cross, red bows, twinned bows, coloured fringes, dark bands, spokes, more. Rainbow pictures and explanations’.

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Snow

• Snow
  Information, how to build virtual snowflakes, snow ball fights, snow art, links.
• All About Snow
  Part of NSIDC.
• Cyberspace Avalanche Centre
  Avalanches & snow information.
• Kid’s Snow Page
  About snow, designed for young children.
• Make-a-Flake
• National Snow and Ice Data Centre [US]
• Snow Crystals
  Check some of the shapes.
• Snowtastic Snow
  Junior Thinkquest. Literature, science, games, activities, bibliography, information on the ice age.

Temperature

• About Temperature
  Temperature, thermometers, kinetics, thermodynamics, etc.. Modern and historical information.
• Temperature World
  Resources, news, links.
• The History of the Thermometer
  About.com. Early history, Fahrenheit, Celsius, Kelvin, related articles, links.

Thunderstorms & Lightning

• 3 Types of Thunderstorms
• Ball Lightning
• The Science of Thunder
  National Lightning Safety Institute. Text article with considerable information.
• Thunder
  Cause, etymology, calculating distance, references, other links. From Wikipedia.
• Global Hydrology & Climate Centre
  Causes and effects of lightning, how it is linked to thunderstorms.
• Learning from Lightning
  How scientists discover information about violent weather using satellite and lightning information.
• Lightning : The Shocking Story
  National Geographic. Information, great graphics.
• Lightning Explorer
• NSSL Lightning FAQs
• Lightning Research
• Thunderstorm Basics
• Thunderstorm FAQs
• Thunderstorms and Lightning Fact Sheet
• USAToday - Lightning
  ‘Details about the forms of lightning, Anatomy of a lightning stroke, Understanding lightning science and safety’. linked to a brief article.
• Useful Links about Lightning

Weather Tools & Techniques

• Climate Timeline Tool
  Climatic conditions in the present, selected periods in the past.
• Disaster Information Network, Links
  Weather related disaster information links.
• Global Climate Change Research Explorer
  The Exploratorium. ‘Explore scientific data relating to the atmosphere, oceans, areas covered by ice and snow, living organisms in all these domains. You’ll also get a sense of how scientists study natural phenomena, gather evidence, test theories, come to conclusions’.
• Guide to Weather Symbols
  Meanings, how they are used.
• Rain
  Questions to think about, posed by students. A good thinking site.
• Severe Weather Primer
  Essential information on a range of weather conditions from Damaging Winds to Winter Weather. Also links to Weather Lessons, Severe Weather Safety and Weather Colouring Books.
• The Seasons
  Information on each. A Lesson plan to explain the seasons is found here.
• Space Weather
  Includes meteor showers.
• WorldClimate
  Weather, Rainfall, Temperature Data. 80 000+ rainfall and temperature records.

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