Meteorology

Meteorologists are scientists and professionals who study and predict atmospheric and environmental conditions.

Meteorology is concerned with the physical, dynamical and chemical state of the Earth’s atmosphere and also the interactions between the atmosphere and the Earth’s surface.

Meteorologists collect and study data from the atmosphere and oceans to make weather forecasts and carry out research and their role is during times of impending severe weather events.

Many rewarding career and challenging opportunities are available for both pure and applied meteorologists. Below are possible career paths for graduates of meteorology.

1    Armed forces :A country’s military operations such as troop movements, airplane flights, missile launches, and ship movements rely on accurate weather information. Hence, here the role of a meteorologist becomes crucial. Space application centers also recruit meteorologists as the launching of satellite also depends on weather conditions.

2    Aviation meteorologists : An aviation meteorologist analyze weather data and prepares weather reports to airline operations, flight dispatchers, pilots and other concerned personnel in flight operations.

3    Broadcast meteorologist : A broadcast meteorologist gives a weather forecast to viewers through the television, radio or internet, using maps and charts to explain their predictions. They may work with a weather team to gather data to use in their meteorology reports. Broadcast meteorologists also respond to severe weather events, informing the public about what are occurring in their area.

4    Data scientists :Meteorologists can work as data scientists that designs data modeling   processes to build predictive models and algorithms and conduct analysis. Using their data, they may create presentations and reports for their stakeholders. Data scientists may also find actionable results through correlating similar data.

5    Academia : Meteorologists can work as instructors and researchers at colleges and universities and they often collect data for academic research programs. This area requires higher qualifications.

6    Forensic services : Whenever weather conditions have an impact on legal cases, forensic meteorologists are often called to reconstruct weather conditions which were occurring at the time of the event in question. 

The forensic meteorologist retrieves and analyzes archived weather record information (surface observations, radar, satellite, river information, etc.) and  reconstructs the weather conditions for the location in question. 

Questions such as when did the highest hurricane winds at a particular building occur, was sun in the eyes of the driver or was it cloudy at the time of the accident, or was lightning present when the house caught fire are just a few examples of the types of questions forensic meteorologists answer for their clients.

At times, forensic meteorologists are called to testify as expert witnesses in court cases that involve the weather.

Meteorologists also play major roles in industries that heavily rely on atmospheric information which include: