The Weather Station — Data Village · Data Stories
A ship’s captain wanted to save sailors from storms. That’s how weather forecasts were born. Interactive Data Stories on MyLeoNes: real open data, animated.
A ship’s captain wanted to save sailors from storms. That’s how weather forecasts were born.
The Story
Robert FitzRoy was captain of the HMS Beagle on the voyage where Charles Darwin studied nature. In 1854 he became the boss of a new weather service in England, which grew into the Met Office.
FitzRoy collected weather measurements sent by telegraph from different ports. On 1st August 1861, The Times newspaper printed the first daily weather forecasts for the public. FitzRoy made the word ‘forecast’ popular in English.
Key Ideas
- Barometer: Measures air pressure. If it drops quickly, bad weather could be coming.
- Telegraph: Sent messages by electrical wires, much quicker than sending a horse.
- Forecast: Using today’s data to guess what’s likely to happen tomorrow.
- Probability: A forecast says what’s most likely, not what will definitely happen.
Step by Step
- Measure every day at the same time.
- Collect data from lots of places.
- Look for patterns.
- Make a prediction.
- Check the next day to see if you were right.
Try it Yourself
For a week, look at the sky each morning and record: sun, clouds or rain. Make a chart from your data.
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