As in many fields of endeavour, weather prediction experienced several breakthroughs during and immediately after World War II. The British began using microwave radar in the late 1930s to monitor enemy aircraft, but it was soon learned that radar gave excellent returns from raindrops at certain wavelengths (5 to 10 centimetres). As a result it became possible to track and study the evolution of individual showers or thunderstorms, as well as to “see” the precipitation structure of larger storms. The photograph shows an image of the rain bands (not clouds) in a hurricane.

Since its initial application in meteorological work, radar has grown as a forecaster’s tool. Virtually all tornadoes and severe thunderstorms over the United States and in some other parts of the world are monitored by radar. Radar observation of the growth, motion, and characteristics of such storms provide clues as to their severity. Modern radar systems use the Doppler principle of frequency shift associated with movement toward or away from the radar transmitter/receiver to determine wind speeds as well as storm motions.

Using radar and other observations, the Japanese American meteorologist Tetsuya Theodore Fujita discovered many details of severe thunderstorm behaviour and of the structure of the violent local storms common to the Midwest region of the United States. His Doppler-radar analyses of winds revealed “microburst” gusts. These gusts cause the large wind shears (differences) associated with strong rains that have been responsible for some plane crashes.

Other types of radar have been used increasingly for detecting winds continuously, as opposed to twice a day. These wind-profiling radar systems actually pick up signals “reflected” by clear air and so can function even when no clouds or rain are present.

Meteorological measurements from satellites and aircraft

A major breakthrough in meteorological measurement came with the launching of the first meteorological satellite, the TIROS (Television and Infrared Observation Satellite), by the United States on April 1, 1960. The impact of global quantitative views of temperature, cloud, and moisture distributions, as well as of surface properties (e.g., ice cover and soil moisture), has already been substantial. Furthermore, new ideas and new methods may very well make the 21st century the “age of the satellite” in weather prediction.

Medium-range forecasts that provide information five to seven days in advance were impossible before satellites began making global observations—particularly over the ocean waters of the Southern Hemisphere—routinely available in real time. Global forecasting models developed at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and the U.S. National Meteorological Center (NMC) became the standard during the 1980s, making medium-range forecasting a reality. Global weather forecasting models are routinely run by national weather services around the world, including those of Japan, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Meteorological satellites travel in various orbits and carry a wide variety of sensors. They are of two principal types: the low-flying polar orbiter, and the geostationary orbiter.

The first type circle Earth at altitudes of 500–1,000 kilometres and in roughly north–south orbits. They appear overhead at any one locality twice a day and provide very high-resolution data because they fly close to Earth. Such satellites are vitally necessary for much of Europe and other high-latitude locations because they orbit near the poles. These satellites do, however, suffer from one major limitation: they can provide a sampling of atmospheric conditions only twice daily.

The geostationary satellite is made to orbit Earth along its equatorial plane at an altitude of about 36,000 kilometres. At that height the eastward motion of the satellite coincides exactly with Earth’s rotation, so that the satellite remains in one position above the Equator. Satellites of this type are able to provide an almost continuous view of a wide area. Because of this capability, geostationary satellites have yielded new information about the rapid changes that occur in thunderstorms, hurricanes, and certain types of fronts, making them invaluable to weather forecasting as well as meteorological research.

One weakness common to virtually all satellite-borne sensors and to some ground-based radars that use UHF/VHF waves is an inability to measure thin layers of the atmosphere. One such layer is the tropopause, the boundary between the relatively dry stratosphere and the more meteorologically active layer below. This is often the region of the jet streams. Important information about these kinds of high-speed air currents is obtained with sensors mounted on high-flying commercial aircraft and is routinely included in global weather analyses.