Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-18
WEATHER FoRECAsTING.
Great Progress That Has Been Made
in a Valuable Science.
From the London Mail.

From the London Mail.
Despite the popular hallucination to the
contrary, meteorology has been so lar
brought to within measurable distance OF
an exact science that the weather of tomor-
row over Great Britain can, in ninety cases
out of a hundred, be forecasted with a
nearer approach to certainty than any other
of the next days events, excepting those
which depend upon the known and certain
movements of bodies suspended in space
In meteorology, however, there are oc-
casions when prospects hang in the bal
ance; a development in one direction Is
counteractive to a change in another Here
1t is that a different kind of ability or ge-
MUS than that required by the astronomer
comes into play, a qualification best de-
scribed by the Greek word nous COM
bined with an exceptional grasp of the sub
ject.
To every circumstance and combination OF
circumstances must be attached an exact
relative Importance which-the dull mind
would be quite unable to weigh. The
achievement so arrived at is not lnfre-
quently a completely successful forecast
which a less gifted person could only sup
pose was the result of occult intuition.
To those not in the secret the question
naturally arises "What are these pros
poets and changes. how are they produced,
where and when do they occur. and what
bearing do they have on warning the ship
not to leave port, or recommending that the
umbrella may be left with confidence in the
hall stand?
The modern humorist always suggests
that the opposite weather to that forecasted
is to be anticipated with some contide nee.
for from Mr.. Dooley downward the funny
men of today make sport of all that is be-
yond the grasp of their intellects.
Experts of every nationality use one
method known as that of the forecast by
the synchronous chart system The essen
tails to making a forecast by this means
are a map of the district for which the
forecast is to be made, with as much of
the surrounding area available for the es-
tablishment of permanent meteorological
observation stations as is likely to be of
any service and Geographic communlca-
ton from all these stations to the expert
in his office
To cite the united kingdom special fore
casts issued daily by the Daily Mail as an
example of this, we have on the north and
west side the Atlantic ocean, from which
no Observable ions are at present received at
regular intervals, though wireless teleg-
raphy opens possibilities in this direction.
The continent Of Europe furnishes all that
is necessary on the south and east sides,
but inasmuch as most Of our weather
travels to us from the west In the northern
hemisphere, the British forecaster is at a
disadvantage compared with the scientist
who has to deal with, say, the eastern half
Of Canada.
1t is absolutely necessary that these OBJ
servations should be taken spontaneously,
that is to say, exactly at the same time.
Western European stations report at am.
and pm, and the report is made up as
follows: Reading Of the barometer: reading
Of the thermometer: direction of the wind;
force Of the wind; state of the weather and
sky; condition of the sea at coast stations.
Having this material at his disposal, the
expert takes his map and fills in these OBJ
servations at the places where they have
been made, with a careful analysis Of the
changes which have occurred since his
previous map was marked.