He also noted that heat caused objects to rise, and therefore the heat on a summer day would drive clouds to an altitude where the moisture would freeze. He observed that air temperature decreased with increasing height and that clouds contain moisture. A theory to explain summer hail was first proposed by Anaxagoras. Anaximander defined wind as a flowing of air, but this was not generally accepted for centuries. Early meteorological theories generally considered that there was a fire-like substance in the atmosphere. Anaximander and Anaximenes thought that thunder and lightning was caused by air smashing against the cloud, thus kindling the flame. According to Seneca, he gave the explanation that the cause of the Nile's annual floods was due to northerly winds hindering its descent by the sea. Herodotus states that Thales predicted the solar eclipse of 585 BC. However, as meteorological instruments did not exist, the inquiry was largely qualitative, and could only be judged by more general theoretical speculations. Many natural philosophers studied the weather. The ancient Greeks were the first to make theories about the weather. The Chaldeans differentiated the 22° and 46° halos.

Varāhamihira's classical work Brihatsamhita, written about 500 AD, provides evidence of weather observation.Ĭuneiform inscriptions on Babylonian tablets included associations between thunder and rain.

The Samaveda mentions sacrifices to be performed when certain phenomena were noticed. Īncient Indian Upanishads contain mentions of clouds and seasons. The Egyptians had rain-making rituals as early as 3500 BC. Early approaches to predicting weather were based on astrology and were practiced by priests. The ability to predict rains and floods based on annual cycles was evidently used by humans at least from the time of agricultural settlement if not earlier. Ancient religions believed meteorological phenomena to be under the control of the gods. The word meteorology is from the Ancient Greek μετέωρος metéōros ( meteor) and -λογία -logia ( -(o)logy), meaning 'the study of things high in the air.'Įarly attempts at predicting weather were often related to prophecy and divining, and were sometimes based on astrological ideas. Meteorology has application in many diverse fields such as the military, energy production, transport, agriculture, and construction. The interactions between Earth's atmosphere and its oceans are part of a coupled ocean-atmosphere system. Meteorology and hydrology compose the interdisciplinary field of hydrometeorology. Meteorology, climatology, atmospheric physics, and atmospheric chemistry are sub-disciplines of the atmospheric sciences. Different spatial scales are used to describe and predict weather on local, regional, and global levels. Meteorological phenomena are described and quantified by the variables of Earth's atmosphere: temperature, air pressure, water vapour, mass flow, and the variations and interactions of these variables, and how they change over time. Meteorological phenomena are observable weather events that are explained by the science of meteorology. An important branch of weather forecasting is marine weather forecasting as it relates to maritime and coastal safety, in which weather effects also include atmospheric interactions with large bodies of water. It was not until after the elucidation of the laws of physics, and more particularly in the latter half of the 20th century the development of the computer (allowing for the automated solution of a great many modelling equations) that significant breakthroughs in weather forecasting were achieved. Prior attempts at prediction of weather depended on historical data. The 19th century saw modest progress in the field after weather observation networks were formed across broad regions. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not begin until the 18th century. Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting.

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