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ORIGIN OF WEATHER FORECAST Weather Forecast Offset: Throughout the ages, mankind has tried to provide weather predictions owing to frequent occurrences of natural disasters such as hurricanes, thunderstorms and floods. Weather forecasting was prevalent since ancient ages. The people of Babylon had forecasted the climate based on the direction of the clouds. Aristotle had written a book called “Meteorologica” wherein, the changing climatic conditions of that period were discussed. The Chinese had taken to forecasting the climate right from 300 BC onwards. The traditional weather predictions were based mainly on ascertained way of cases. When people used to notice a specific redness of the sun during sundown, the next day would be predicted to bring calm weather. These observations made by people at that time were passed on to their children and so on. Most of the weather forecasting was of an unreliable nature and most of these don’t have scientific and numerical basis. Origin of Present Weather Forecast: The present age of the prediction of climate started after the discovery of telegraph. Previous to the year 1837, it was next to impossible to transmit weather related information to far-off places, without the help of the train. Thanks to the telegraph, transmitting information was done almost quickly. Weather information from a large region was quickly noted till the 1840’s. This gave ample time for the weather predictors to upgrade the weather situation, further upwards from the earth’s surface. It is due to the work of a couple of men named, Francis Beaufort and Robert Fitzroy that weather prediction has reached the level it is today. After much satire by the media, the British Navy accepted their research. Miscellaneous: Most of the developments in regards to meteorology were done in 20th century. It was the brilliance of Lewis Fry Richardson that, numerical weather predictions is providing numbers to weather conditions, such as knowing temperature of the city became possible. With the onset of computers, faster and more accurate weather predictions can now be done. If it was not for the Beaufort, Fitzroy and Lewis, it would have become extremely difficult to predict weather. In an age, where nature shows its fury in the form of earthquakes, thunderstorms and other disasters, upto date weather information is the need of the hour. |
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