What do Irene, Osai, Tam and Xavier all have in common?
Understanding Tropical Cyclone and Cyclone Track Maps
How do I understand a tropical cyclone track map?
2022 is one for the record books
With 2022 coming to an end, we thought it’d be timely to look back at the year of weather. Two words come to mind, wet and warm. Low pressure systems from the northern Tasman Sea were frequent around Aotearoa and brought a rise in both the temperature and the amount of rain that fell. Read on to find out more about MetService’s notable weather of 2022.
Swell Period
What is swell period and why does it matter?
At Home Meteorological Experiments
If you are trying to entertain the kids at home or are just looking for a meteorological experiment then you've come to the right place!
First up we have the Cloud in a Bottle experiment:
Equipment:
• 1 large clear-plastic bottle with a screw-on top (e.g. a 3-litre juice bottle)
• 1 match
• 1 cup of water
Instructions:
Step 1. Pour the water into the bottle, put the top on and shake it around. Leave it for a few hours so that the air in the bottle gets very humid. (You can do the word find below while you wait)
The Physics of Fog
While the weather conditions that lead to the formation of fog are usually quite benign, fog itself can be very disruptive. In particular the aviation and marine industries are often interested in how fog or mist will affect the visibility for their journeys, though fog also affects road-users.
Am I at risk of experiencing a thunderstorm?
Whether you actively seek the thrill of a good lightning storm or you need to make sure your nervous dog is inside in your protective arms when a thunderstorm hits, MetService has got your back.
Forecasts in retrospect: A history of Numerical Weather Prediction
As weather forecasters, here at MetService we spend a lot of our time poring through data: data from weather stations, data from satellites and radar, from weather balloons and also webcams. This information is all useful for understanding what the weather is doing right now – but how do we know what might happen in the future? Understanding the current weather helps us understand what might come next, but information from numerical weather models also plays a very important part.
Skin Cancer – Spot it, Stop it
A guest blog from the Health Promotion Agency.
Here’s a new year’s resolution – get into the habit of regularly self-checking your own skin for different looking moles or freckles. Early detection can increase your chance of successful treatment.
What is a heat wave?
You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘heat wave’ bandied about in the news, and perhaps wondered what exactly it means. Does one hot day constitute a heat wave? And how hot is hot? Does New Zealand really get that many heat waves? If you’ve ever found yourself wondering about these things, then look no further!