World Weather ... a Global Perspective

This morning we took a drive to the coast to look at the huge waves pounding the Eastern Seaboard of Australia.

The cyclone which ripped through Tonga is traveling West.

Chatting with the kids, they wanted to see a Radar image and I eventually found this website.
(Finally something usefull out of Facebook)

WOW ... https://earth.nullschool.net/#curren....37,-22.32,512
It's an interactive map, sort of like Google Earth which you can spin and rotate.
I'll do a still so you can see what I mean ...

https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?a...tid=8766&stc=1

You can clearly see the Cyclone to the east of Australia and the one currently bombarding Western Australia.
see here ... https://teakdoor.com/australia-and-ne...ml#post3719230


Not much going on in the Arctic, but check out Antarctica ... https://earth.nullschool.net/#curren....35,-88.41,512

That's awrap and now over to Davie for the weather forkarsed

Big rip off Sydney
Manly women spotted at Clovelly
Rip Curl at the bIg Banana
Ulla Dulla than normal
See you at Fingal RSA for the meat draw
Tweed Head available

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Originally Posted by David48atTD

Not much going on in the Arctic,.....

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Yeah well, except for the fact that history is being made…….

The new year was heralded by a week of record low daily ice extents, with the January average beating out 2017 for a new record low. Ice grew through the month at near-average rates, and in the middle of the month daily extents were higher than for 2017. However, by the end of January, extent was again tracking below 2017. The monthly average extent of 13.06 million square kilometers (5.04 million square miles) was 1.36 million square kilometers (525,000 square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 average, and 110,000 square kilometers (42,500 square miles) below the previous record low monthly average in 2017.: https://nsidc.org/


https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2018/02/547.jpg

Shipping first as commercial tanker crosses Arctic sea route in winter

An LNG tanker designed for icy conditions has become the first commercial ship to travel the Arctic’s northern sea route in winter.

It marks a milestone in the opening up of Russia’s northern coastline, as thawing polar ice makes industrial development and maritime trade increasingly viable.

Arctic sea ice is steadily thinning and receding, with seasonal fluctuation, as global temperatures rise due to human activity. In January 2018, ice extent hit another record low for the month, according to the US National Snow and Ice Data Center.: https://www.theguardian.com/environm...oute-in-winter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZkD9TFXrdU

Soon after delivery, Eduard Toll (Icebreaker LNG Carrier) made its way to complete both its first loading at Sabetta Terminal Russia and first discharge in Montoir, France. This marked a major milestone for shipping in the arctic as this was the first time a shipping vessel made independent passage, without the support of an ice breaker, during this time of year.

Here. Something else for the kids - Air Quality Real-time Map: Berkeley Earth

Very cool, David, thanks.

It is cool, but you might prefer this one that I use as it has so many options (rain, temp, waves, etc) plus history and future.

https://www.windytv.com/?7.100,100.417,5

If you liked my map ... well worth a look at this one also.

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Originally Posted by Maanaam

It is cool, but you might prefer this one that I use as it has so many options (rain, temp, waves, etc) plus history and future.

https://www.windytv.com/?7.100,100.417,5

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very interesting as well, Maanaam. I will bookmark this page.

The only thing predictable about the weather is its unpredictability.

oh and change. lol

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Originally Posted by David48atTD

Not much going on in the Arctic

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by S Landreth

The new year was heralded by a week of record low daily ice extents

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That and the splitting of the polar vortex...

https://mashable.com/2018/02/15/pola.../#HldxCRCsEmqx

https://weather.com/news/news/2018-0...-february-2018

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Originally Posted by David48atTD

The cyclone which ripped through Tonga is traveling West.

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Monster swell at Snapper Rocks over the weekend.

https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?a...tid=8789&stc=1

D'bah was a sea of foam for about 500m out from the beach.

https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?a...tid=8790&stc=1

https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?a...tid=8791&stc=1

https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?a...tid=8792&stc=1

Woman got caught and dragged over the rocks on saturday arvo.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/39206595...-monster-wave/

Earth continues to evolve, along with changes in weather patterns. Scientists believe the earth is 4.5 billion years old and land masses and oceans will have changed a lot in all that time.
Our ancestors are found around 6 million years ago, and in our current form, humans are only in place from 200,000 years ago.
Continents continue to drift, albeit very slowly from our perspective. Violent eruptions continue on a more regular basis. The earths core is still molten and active, especially where the crust is thinnest.
All this affects our weather. Circulating air and sea currents are affected by events on a micro and macro scale.
We know that tropical weather is generally warmer, but we also know that weather becomes cooler as height increases, even in the tropics. This happens in the oceans too.
The most severe weather patterns are tied to a multitude of climate events. Predicting them must be the most infuriating of scientific problems. The variables are immense and the evolving earth produces inconsistencies, in the ongoing changes to atmospheric and ocean conditions in land and sea. Add in unpredictable scales of geothermal events and you are left with a wild horse trying to juggle wet fish.

Change and unpredictability are the only certainties.

Since I'm a satcomms/radio ham sort of guy, I am getting my secondary grade students in Myanmar to build a system to receive and display the weather map images from the NOAA polar orbit satellites. This only needs a simple DIY antenna, a $20 'dongle' receiver that I already bought from Lazada (and will collect when I pop over to Thailand next month), and some free decoding & display software running on a laptop.

The satellite signal on 137 MHz is quite strong (it passes overhead several times each day), and a typical received image is like this: .

https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?a...tid=9120&stc=1

(Update: I edited this screen-grab to show the image as the satellite passes over Thailand/south-east Asia).

I'm trying to get my students involved in all sorts of radio-comms, telecoms and ICT projects (STEM projects).

Being experienced with the 'anal' attitude of the powers that be in this country, I'm expecting a long stay in prison fairly soon as a 'danger to security' suspect LoL!

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Originally Posted by Simon43

This only needs a simple DIY antenna, a $20 'dongle' receiver that I already bought from Lazada

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Interesting Simon, what's the dongle please I'd like one?

Also why an aerial isn't it streamed by NOAA and how high would the aerial need to be?

Is there any speacial software package /knowledge needed

Welcome PM me be good to hook up one day

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Originally Posted by Simon43

Since I'm a satcomms/radio ham sort of guy, I am getting my secondary grade students in Myanmar to build a system to receive and display the weather map images from the NOAA polar orbit satellites. This only needs a simple DIY antenna, a $20 'dongle' receiver that I already bought from Lazada (and will collect when I pop over to Thailand next month), and some free decoding & display software running on a laptop.

The satellite signal on 137 MHz is quite strong (it passes overhead several times each day), and a typical received image is like this: .

https://teakdoor.com/attachment.php?a...tid=9120&stc=1

(Update: I edited this screen-grab to show the image as the satellite passes over Thailand/south-east Asia).

I'm trying to get my students involved in all sorts of radio-comms, telecoms and ICT projects (STEM projects).

Being experienced with the 'anal' attitude of the powers that be in this country, I'm expecting a long stay in prison fairly soon as a 'danger to security' suspect LoL!

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Just tell them you are updating the geography curriculum.

Its a great ICT based learning tool for the kids.

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Also why an aerial isn't it streamed by NOAA ...?

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Ah, to understand that, you need to understand the 'magic' of radio :)

Nowadays, you can get all this data off the internet, and you can chat to someone on the other side of the world with your mobile phone.

Where's the challenge in that? IMHO Completely fcuking boring! Is it a challenge for my students to download the data feed from the internet? No it is not.

It's a challenge and learning process for them to understand about how radio signals travel through the atmosphere, why mobile phones use UHF frequencies and not low frequencies, how it is possible to bounce radio signals off the moon etc etc etc.

Mobile phones wouldn't work without radio (the link from the phone to the cell-tower, the backbone link between cell towers, the satellite link for intercontinental connections etc).

My students (and their parents) are very enthusiastic to learn all about these topics.

Back to your questions:

You can buy a dongle on Lazada:

https://www.lazada.co.th/befu-100khz...-95540466.html


Bear in mind that this dongle receiver can also be used to receive a huge range of other signals, such as marine weather fax, ham radio, broadcast stations, TV stations, police, spy number stations, aircraft ADS-B location data, ship AIS location data etc etc etc

For 137 MHz weather fax, the antenna is a simple 'V' dipole in a fixed position. (Try to get it clear of trees/house). As the NOAA satellite passes overhead (about 4 times each day), you have a clear view for abut 15 minutes, which is enough for your dongle to receive the weather map.

The comprehensive software is here:

WXtrack - predicts satellite positions and ground path images - from David Taylor, Edinburgh


I'm been trying (since I moved here in 2012) to persuade the Myanmar government ministries to authorise me to do my radio-comms/satcomms research and development.

I worked after graduation with a satcomms MSc from London University for many years as a designer of satellite comms equipment, and the actual integrating of these equipments on the satellites before they were launched. Most of the satellites were weather and scientific research satellites.

Anyway, it is like speaking to a smiling brick wall with the Myanmar ministries... I've decided to just go ahead and do my work, and to hell with the 'heads-in-the-sand' government. This could all go pear-shaped for me of course, but I'm happy to embarrass these guys and spend some time behind bars if it demonstrates the need for education of the local youth in ICT.

I'm over in Thailand in a few weeks to collect many different items that I can use to build and develop comms equipment and projects on shortwave, VHF, UHF and microwave frequencies.

All good fun :)

Thanks for that Simon, not sure I'd fancy a Burmese jail, my dad had 3 years there put me off for life

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..my dad had 3 years there

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In jail!!??

My life is very good in Naypyidaw, absolutely zero stress and no interference from family (got rid of the 3rd wife years ago).

So I have time to work on my radio hobby and to help to educate the youth over here about satcomms, telecomms, robotics, software etc etc.

There is no Myanmar space agency. The country doesn't even allocate the international space comms operating frequencies in their frequency usage spectrum plan.

I don't think it is part of a plan (as in Thailand) to keep the population 'stupid' and uneducated - Thailand has a budding space program. Rather, I think the roles are reversed. The population may be ignorant, through lack of education, but they are not stupid and everyone from old man to little village girl are very keen to learn and receive an education.

The stupid ones are those in the various government ministries who have the job responsibility to OK development work such as mine, but through decades of 'deference', will not act unless their superior gives the OK, and if his/her superior gives the OK etc etc.

Thus the ball is passed up the seniority tree and only the boss at the top will make decisions (so my plans are too minor to interest them).

Mandy will probably confirm this attitude in Myanmar - it is what is holding the country back and why foreign investors are now shutting up shop and leaving.

Just don't go flying a drone around, Simon. The government didn't like that in Cambodia, and jailed a foreigner for doing it.

Latindancer - yep I read about that guy - idiot he is! Couple of foreign journalists were arrested in Myanmar for flying a drone.

I do have a mini-drone that I bought in Pantip, but it's too small to fly outside, affected by any small gust of wind.