Technology
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What is a Weather Webcam?

G. Wiesen
G. Wiesen

A weather webcam is a device established and used to allow users in remote locations to view weather in various areas all over the world. These types of devices can be used to better understand forecasts or weather patterns in other areas, rather than simply reading temperatures and humidity levels for a region. By providing live, visual information regarding the weather of a location, people from all over the world can study weather patterns and know what to expect if planning a vacation. A weather webcam is also a unique way to have a virtual look at a foreign area and see a city or region far from where a user lives.

With the proliferation of the Internet, locations across the world have become increasingly interconnected and people are able to experience and understand foreign regions like never before. Webcams allow people to communicate and see each other through audio and video streaming; this can even be accomplished over great distances. A weather webcam is a device set up to allow people to view and monitor weather conditions and patterns at great distance. These devices allow live viewing of remote locations and show an actual video image of a location live in real time.

A webcam.
A webcam.

The use of a weather webcam can certainly be beneficial for meteorologists who wish to be able to observe distant weather conditions and patterns. While quantifiable data such as temperatures, humidity levels, and atmospheric pressure are certainly important, having actual visual data or understanding of weather in a region can help increase the knowledge base established by such numbers. A meteorologist can know that a high pressure system is coming into a certain area due to numbers on a page, but a weather webcam can then allow that person to see the weather formations as well.

Weather can be viewed in various areas all over the world through use of a weather webcam.
Weather can be viewed in various areas all over the world through use of a weather webcam.

Amateur meteorologists or tourists can also find benefits in accessing a weather webcam to better understand weather systems outside of what they can immediately witness. Many people are very visual in nature, and being able to see what the weather is like at any given time in just about any location in the world can be seen as quite a remarkable ability. Someone planning a vacation to a region, or wondering if sea conditions are decent enough to launch his or her boat can immediately view that area and see the sky and even potentially observe wave choppiness through a weather webcam mounted at a port or harbor. Many sites that host a weather webcam also provide additional information for the location, such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed to provide a fully quantitative and qualitative experience.

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • A webcam.
      A webcam.
    • Weather can be viewed in various areas all over the world through use of a weather webcam.
      By: Wirepec
      Weather can be viewed in various areas all over the world through use of a weather webcam.