All people working in the open air know how important is to know weather conditions before leaving. Weather forecast is also essential for those who will take part in Geology field activities.
It is essential to know weather forecast for our working area in advance. This information has to allow us:
- To choose a mean of transport.
- To decide the kind of clothing and shoes.
- To incorporate into our basic outfit some complements that will make the work easier such as sunglasses, hats, umbrellas, raincoats, gloves, etc.
- To set the itinerary and the working programme.
- To consider whether it is necessary or not to cancel the fieldtrip if weather conditions will prevent arriving to the meeting point, making the observations, taking measurements, taking pictures, etc. This is the case of those situations in which it is known that we will find the ground covered with mud, intense fog, surfaces covered of snow, strong swell or high tides in coastal areas, etc.
- To evaluate some kinds of risk that can affect our security: risk of flooding, electric storms, snow avalanches, heat wave, etc. Predicting these phenomena will make easier for us to take preventive measures, and even cancel the fieldtrip.
There are many resources to find out about weather forecast. Generally, we can get information through newspapers, radio stations, news or some meteorology-specialized channels.
Weather information will be much more accurate if we consult some services on the Net. There they are some of them:
In Catalonia area you can consult METEOCAT or INFOMET:
For all Spain you will find the Web site of the AGENCIA ESTATAL DE METEOROLOGÍA:
Worldwide, several websites can be consulted:
