Weather Mapping

Today, data on weather conditions around the world are collected by more than 10,000 individuals stations, hundreds of ships at sea, and a variety of instruments traveling through Earth's atmosphere. These data are transmitted regularly four times a day: usually at 0:00 hours, 6:00 hours, 12:00 hours, and 18:00 hours (Greenwich Mean Time). The data are used by national weather services to develop weather maps and forecasts for their own regions. Overseeing these individuals forecasts is the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), an international organization consisting of more than 130 nations. WMO is responsible for ensuring that all stations follow standard collection and transmission procedures and for the exchange of weather information among member nations.

The data sent from an observation station to the central collecting point are transmitted by a standard code consisting of number blocks. Meteorologists understand the significance of each block of numbers and translate them into specific weather conditions such as barometric pressure, temperature, and wind speed.