How To Write A Weather Report?

What is a Weather Report?

A weather report can be defined as,

“A written or spoken statement describing what the weather has been like recently, what it is like at the moment or what it will be for a period in the future.”

OR

“A daily report of meteorological observations, and of probable changes in the weather; esp. one published by government authority”.

 

Writing a Weather Report

A weather report is a bit technical as compared to other report writing you have been practicing earlier. You need to choose words and phrases correctly and present the information gathered in the language of meteorologists.

 

Information Items in a Typical Weather Report Format

 

Weather report writing has its own format which is precise, to the point and delivers facts and prediction right on hand. A weather report article or analysis typically includes the statement of current weather conditions along with a weather forecast for the next 24 hours.

Following are the important information elements included in a typical weather analysis report:

Stn: Station ID

Temp: Present temperature (°C)

MinT: Minimum temperature (°C) recorded over the last 18 hours

MaxT: Maximum temperature (°C) recorded over the last 18 hours

RH: Present RH (%)

WndDir: Wind direction

WndSpd: Wind speed (km/h)

WndGust: Wind gust (km/h)

Rain_mm: Rain since last report (mm)

Snow_cm: Snow since last report (cm)

Hail_mm: Hail since last report (mm)

FFMC – Fine Fuel Moisture Code

ISI – Initial Spread Index

DMC – Duff Moisture Code

BUI – Build Up Index

DC – Drought Code

DSR – Daily Severity Rating

FWI – Fire Weather Index

Corporate Rgn: Name of corporate region the weather station is associated with.

Step By Step Guide for Writing A Weather Report

Go through the following steps carefully to learn what is required and not required in a weather report. These steps will help you in building a strong foundation on weather reporting.

Get Sample Weather Reviews from Your Local and National Weather Services

Before writing a weather report, visit the National Weather Service and ask them to show you a few samples on weather reporting. This will give you a good idea of the information required.You can also visit official websites of local weather agencies and ask for online assistance.

Provide Complete Weather Statistics

For writing a weather report, you need to provide an overall view of the weather condition of your area. This will include humidity, dew point, Ultraviolet ray index, direction and speed of wind, temperature, barometric pressure, rating of air quality and precipitation amount. Mentioning the timings of sunrise and sunset and visibility information would be a plus.

Include Average Temperatures of the Current Year

Your weather report must include the average low and high temperature for the current year. Historical information about the weather changes taking place since past few years is optional.

 

Helpful Resources for Weather Analysis

 

Satellite map and weather forecasting are the two key tools which will help you greatly in creating a weather report.

Satellite Map

With the help of satellite map, explain the temperature and other weather indications for the past few hours. Point out the areas under pressure and explain why it is so; based on the wind and storm pressure information.

Make educated guess about how the weather would be like in the next couple of hours. A satellite map will also show you the weather conditions of the neighboring areas; on this basis, you can predict weather changes of your city or state.

 

Weather Forecast

Weather forecast makes a significant part of weather report. It can be defined as:

“An attempt at predicting rain, wind, temperature, and sunshine with the probability of success rapidly diminishing over time.”

OR

“It is the prediction of the weather through application of the principles of physics and meteorology. Weather forecasting predicts atmospheric phenomena and changes on the Earth’s surface caused by atmospheric conditions (snow and ice cover, storm tides, floods, etc.). Scientific weather forecasting relies on empirical and statistical techniques, such as measurements of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, and precipitation, and computer-controlled mathematical models.”

The weather forecast you mention in your report must be for three or seven days. Do not forecast the weather conditions for months because long term forecasts are less accurate therefore, less reliable. The forecast can be made by studying the satellite map or taking help of meteorologists.

When writing a weather forecast, you need to state the general weather conditions such as sunny, cloudy, rainy, stormy, cloudy, low and high temperature and weather warnings like tornadoes, flooding etc.

Writing Style of a Weather Report Review

The writing style of weather forecast must be to the point; no fillers are required. You must choose your words and phrases correctly and arrange them in a way that the information looks precise and accurate, and fits well in one or two lines.

Examples of Weather Reports

The following examples will give you a good idea on how to write a weather report. Also note the difference in formatting.

Partly cloudy in the evening, becoming cloudy overnight. Low around 55 F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph

Sun may give way to rain for this evening, with a 10 percent chance of precipitation and a low of 50 degrees. Winds are expected to remain calm at 9 mph

Clear with cloudy periods; a slight chance of showers or thundershowers

Mostly clear with showers likely. Slight chance of a thunderstorm. 3 to 6 mm of rain