Observations are the lifeblood of all forecasting. Use the links below to see maps of UK and world observations by area, complete lists of the latest observations, or rolling archives of data.

Information is a valuable resource and the amounts of data provided free of charge are sufficient to complete the majority of projects. Exact details of the available data and the charges are listed in the relevant sections.

Go to the data catalogue page
 

Meteorologists measure the atmospheric pressure because it is helpful when analysing and predicting winds and weather. The pressure is measured using a barometer, in units of millibars (mb), hectopascals (hPa), or inches of mercury. A correction is then applied to calculate the equivalent sea-level pressure.

On a weather chart, lines joining places with equal sea-level pressures are called isobars. Charts showing isobars are useful because they identify features such as anticyclones (areas of high pressure), depressions (areas of low pressure), troughs and ridges which are associated with particular kinds of weather.

Go to the charts page
 

When studying the satellite pictures, remember that with the visible images you are viewing reflected sunlight (reflected from the earth or the clouds). In general, the brighter the cloud appears, the thicker it is.

Go to the satellite page
 

In this section you can find synoptic charts, satellite images, observational data and activity ideas for using the data.

Go to the activities page.