Weather Maps
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Learning objectives
How is weather shown on a map?
What are synoptic charts?
What do satellite images show us?
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What’s the weather like?
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Weather maps
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Learning objectives
How is weather shown on a map?
What are synoptic charts?
What do satellite images show us?
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Synoptic charts
Synoptic charts are charts of surface pressure.
They help meteorologists predict the weather.
LOW
Isobars are lines
joining areas of equal
pressure.
Pressure is decreasing
towards the middle.
This is a low pressure
system.
Pressure is shown in
millibars.
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Synoptic charts
What type of pressure system
is shown on this chart?
isobars
This is a high pressure
system.
The pressure is increasing
towards the centre.
HIGH
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Weather Symbols
Precipitation
Wind Speed (mph)

Cloud Cover (oktas)
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Synoptic charts
C
A
B

1. Is this a low or high pressure system?
2. Describe the weather at A, B and C.
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Weather symbols
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F
D
Match the statements to
the correct letter/s.
Wind speed 8-12 mph
C
Low Pressure
High Pressure
Clear Sky
E
A
G
Drizzle
Rain Shower
B
Overcast Wind speed 18-22 mph
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Northerly winds
North westerly winds
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Build your own weather map
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Learning objectives
How is weather shown on a map?
What are synoptic charts?
What do satellite images show us?
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Satellite images
Satellite cameras detect heat
and light from the Earth.
High pressure system
2nd May 1990 midday
Visible satellite images record
light from the sun, reflected
back to the satellite by cloud
tops and land and sea
surfaces. They are equivalent
to a black and white
photograph from space.
Visible satellite images can
only be taken during the day.
Why is this?
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Satellite images
The infrared satellite images record the heat that is given
off by an object. The coldest objects such as fronts and
high clouds show up the whitest.
Both of these satellite images were taken at midday.
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Infrared satellite images
cloud-free
Sahara
(warm therefore
shown as dark)
high clouds
around the
Equator
(cold therefore
shown as
white)
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Depression – January 1990
Satellite images are used to predict and track the weather.
Look at the satellite image of a depression in January 1990.
The centre of the depression
can be recognised by a swirl
of cloud.
The line of continuous cloud
from this centre marks the line
of the fronts.
The white dots at the rear of
the depression mark the
shower clouds.
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25th Jan 1990
03.29 GMT
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Depression – January 1990
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