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synoptic chart interpretation

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crikey
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Re: synoptic chart interpretation

Post by crikey »

The Bureau of meteorology..( BOM ) publish wind charts and these will suit your purpose rather than a synoptic chart which mainly focuses on surface barometric pressure patterns

Here is a few links for wind info

7 day BOM wind forecast
http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/watl/wind/index.jsp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This link has everything including wave heights and wind direction, temp etc ..7 to 10 day forecast as well
http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/ ... u&model=CG" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This link is also good .You can see the wind barbs( direction arrows) more clearly and colors areas of high wind ( currently available for VIC and NSW)
Select the wind 'tab'
http://www.bom.gov.au/forecasts/graphical/public/vic/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you want to know how to interpret wind flow on synoptic charts. The BOM have some great info in their weather education section
Here is one that may help
http://www.bom.gov.au/info/weathmap/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The BOM also has a search engine like 'google' to find out what ever you would like to know on the top right hand corner of their web pages.
They have info for beginners and experts.
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Meso
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Re: synoptic chart interpretation

Post by Meso »

I could be wrong, but I don't think you can really interpret wind strength from a synoptic chart. The purpose of a synoptic chart is to give you an idea of what is happening over a large area. Synoptic means large scale - hundreds of km's. One level down from that is mesoscale and then even further down is microscale as the area your drawing information for gets smaller and smaller.

The basic idea of a synoptic chart, imo anyway...is to get an idea of how low pressure and high pressure areas are interacting with each other.

If you look at this example...

Image

First off, you have high pressure areas (the H icons), which basically indicate areas of fine weather. And then things get interesting...you have low pressure troughs (the dashed lines) and two cold fronts (one south of WA and one east of Tas), which are indicated by the lines with arrows along them and their minimal pressure indicated underneath the L icon, so the one east of Tasmania has a pressure reading of 1001 hpa. The lower the number, the stronger they are basically, which at this time of year gives you greater potential for severe weather if they're on a path to collide with an airmass of significant difference (warmer, moister). The big colored arrows are indicating wind direction and go from (I think) green (cold winds) to red (warm winds).

If I'm off the mark with any of this, then I'm happy for someone with more experience to correct me.
Last edited by Meso on Sun Dec 04, 2011 12:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Anthony Violi
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Re: synoptic chart interpretation

Post by Anthony Violi »

Yes Meso is correct.

In very laymans terms, the closer the lines are on the chart, the stronger the wind.
http://www.therealworldweatherforum.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

avweatherforecasts.com
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