ScienceFreePrintable

Comparing Weather Information Sources

A free science worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.

Download now

Name:Date:

Comparing Weather Information Sources

Use scientific terms and explain your reasoning. When a question asks you to evaluate or choose, support your conclusion with evidence. Weather services can change their products; use the descriptions on this sheet.

Weather information and evidence

Weather sources may provide observations, forecasts, maps, imagery, or warnings. Consider what each kind of information can show and how current or detailed it is.

1.Explain why an online weather service is usually more useful than a newspaper or radio bulletin for tracking rain as it moves. Refer to how the information can be displayed or updated and to what radar evidence shows.

2.Distinguish a five-day forecast from an hourly weather observation. Give one example of a decision for which each could be useful.

3.Before taking a small boat out from a New Zealand harbour, what weather information should the skipper check? Explain why at least three kinds of information matter to safety.

4.Define an hourly observation and distinguish it from a forecast. Give one question about current local conditions that a recent observation could answer more directly than a forecast alone.

Compare two weather sources

Use the source descriptions below as evidence. The television report's listed features are the information specified here; do not assume it offers additional products.

Online weather service 48-hour location forecast; hourly temperatures; wind speed and direction; rain forecasts; rain radar; satellite imagery; severe weather watches and warnings.

Television weather report A short spoken forecast; a weather map; expected temperatures; information about severe weather.

5.Compare the information available from the online service with the television report described above. Identify at least two differences and explain how each could affect a person's weather-related decision.

6.Name one type of weather information listed for both sources. Explain how each source could present it and give one possible advantage or limitation of those formats.

7.A resident in Whanganui wants to find out whether rain is heading towards their town. Which source described above provides stronger evidence for tracking this? Justify your choice and state one limitation of that evidence.

Choose and evaluate a source

For each scenario, make a justified choice. Consider the purpose, location, timing and reliability of the information needed.

8.You are arranging an outdoor sports day five days from now. Compare how useful the online service and television report would be for planning. Choose which you would consult first, and explain what you would check again as the day gets closer.

9.A severe weather warning has been issued for part of the country. Describe two steps you would take to find information that is current and relevant to your area. Explain how you would check the information's source, time and location.

10.Write a developed paragraph explaining why comparing two weather sources can lead to better decisions. Include how comparison can affect confidence, reveal differences in detail or timing, and indicate when further checking is needed.