A meteorologist's work falls into the two main categories of forecasting and research.
In weather forecasting, common tasks include:
collecting data from satellite images, radar, remote sensors and weather stations all over the world;
measuring factors such as air pressure, temperature and humidity at various atmospheric levels;
analysing and presenting this information to customers in the form of weather briefings;
coding weather reports for transmission over international networks;
applying physical and mathematical relationships and sophisticated computer models to make short and long-range weather forecasts;
liaising with colleagues and clients from around the country and worldwide.
In research, work that may be carried out includes:
investigating subjects such as airflow in the lowest kilometre of the atmosphere, the physics of clouds and precipitation, or global climate change;