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Weather Map is typically a graphical representation of various factors involving atmospheric conditions such as wind strength/direction diagrams, Temparature maps, Low/High Pressure indications etc.

Wind strength is inversely proportional to the distance between isobars — the closer the lines, the stronger the winds. This rule does not apply in the tropics where the effect of the earth’s rotation is weak. For this reason, tropical meteorologists usually replace isobars with streamline arrows which indicate wind and direction without directly relating to the pressure gradient.

Shaded areas on weather maps show where there has been rain in the previous 24 hours, and wind direction is shown with arrows that have a series of barbs on their tails to indicate speed.

Weather Satellite can be defined as an instrument or device platform in earths orbit which views the atmosphere with a variety of sensors including visible and infrared cameras. A weather satellite may produce data used to form any of a number of satellite images or raw data used in research and forecasting.

These satellites are equipped with instruments to measure and transmit data about weather features such as air pressure, humidity, and temperature. Weather satellite observations can cover high parts of the atmosphere that cannot be reached by weather balloons.

There are two basic types of weather satellites:

1. Geostationary Satellite

2. Polar Orbiting Satellite

Lightning is caused by the build up of electrostatic charge in clouds. One region within the cloud builds up a positive charge and the other a negative charge. The process is not completely understood as to why, but the bottom of the cloud usually ends up being negatively charged and the top positively charged. If the build up (separation) of charge becomes great enough, the negative charges may leap to the positive side of another cloud, this is called sheet lightning or it may leap to the ground.

* As the negative charges collect at the bottom of the cloud it forces the negative charges in the ground to be forced away from the surface. This leaves the ground positive.
* A streamer of negative charges is repelled by the bottom of the cloud and attracted by the ground.
* As this streamer of negative charges approaches the ground, a streamer of positive charges is repelled by the ground and attracted to the negative streamer.
* When the two streamers connect, they have created a fairly conductive path which allows a sudden down surge of electrons to jump to the ground. This is the lightning.
* The rapidly moving electrons excite the air along the path so much that it emits light. It also heats the air so intensely that it rapidly expands creating thunder.
* One thing to notice is that the positive charges that make up both the cloud and the ground do not move. Even the positive streamer launched by the ground is really only made up of positively charged air particles because the electron(s) left the particle.

Three basic types:

1. Cloud to ground Lightning
2. Ground to cloud Lightning
3. Cloud to cloud Lightning

Other classifications of Lightning:

1. Positive lightning or High voltage Lightning popularly known as “bolt from the blue” 2. Dry lightning: This type of lightning is the most common natural cause of wild land fires. Dry lightning may also be referred to as heat lightning. lightning near the horizon that is reflected by high clouds 3. Sheet lightning - Normal lightning that is reflected in the clouds
4. Ball lightning - A phenomenon where lightning forms a slow, moving ball that can burn objects in its path before exploding or burning out
5. Red sprite - A red burst reported to occur above storm clouds and reaching a few miles in length (toward the stratosphere) 6. Blue jet - A blue, cone-shaped burst that occurs above the center of a storm cloud and moves upward (toward the stratosphere) at a high rate of speed
7. Bead lightning
8. Ribbon lightning
9. Staccato lightning

Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of electricity, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms.

Lightning is one of the most beautiful displays in nature. It is also one of the most deadly natural phenomena known to man. With bolt temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun and shock waves beaming out in all directions.

Radar is an acronym that stands for RAdio Detection And Ranging. A weather radar consists of a parabolic dish (it looks like a satellite dish) encased in a protective dome and mounted on a tower of up to five stories tall.  These types of radars are used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, estimate its type (rain or snow) , and forecast its future position and intensity. Modern weather radars are mostly Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of rain droplets in addition to intensity of the precipitation. Both types of data can be analyzed to determine the structure of storms and their potential to cause extreme weather conditions.