WeatherForecast天气预报.docVIP

The Importance of Weather Forecast For centuries,humans have tried to tell what the weather will be like a day or a month in advance.We know, for example,that the Chinese were forecasting weather 2,400 years ago.At about the same time,the citizens of Babylonia,now part of Iraq,were also making weather forecasts.During the Roman Empire,the weather forecast was a serious matter because it was used for military reasons.If the forecast told the weather correctly,and the war was successful,he was given a reward.But if he told the weather incorrectly,he was often killed. Today’s weather forecast are not in danger of being killed when their forecast are wrong.But correct weather forecast is,for most parts of the world,a matter of life and death.A sudden heavy rain can cause floods,creating dangerous conditions.A typhoon can kill thousands of people.If these events can be told before they happen, our lives could be a great deal safer. By looking out of the window,it is possible to get an idea of what kind of weather is on the way.But this is only reliable for an hour or so.Most of us would like to know what the weather is going to be like all week or even further into the future . For more correct weather forecasts,scientists use observational tools like radar,satellites,and computers.They also use airlines and ships at sea to collect critical data.Scientists also collect information from balloons that are released daily into the future. Meteorologists,scientists who study weather,point out that they make forecasts,not assured information.Even though there is a lot of technology available these days,meteorologists can only make correct forecasts for three or four days in advance. For weather forecasts beyond six or seven days,meteorologists generally use percentages.For example,we might hear on television that there is about 50% chance of rain next week.This type of forecast is based on information from observational tools and from historical information.If,for