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History of Weather Forecasting Timeline

(c. 650 BCE – Present)

The history of weather forecasting spans thousands of years, beginning with ancient civilizations observing the skies and developing weather lore, progressing through the invention of instruments like the barometer and thermometer, the birth of scientific forecasting with telegraph networks in the 19th century, and culminating in today's sophisticated numerical models powered by satellites, radar, and supercomputers. Less

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Early Observations & Instruments

Luke Howard classifies clouds

1802

Luke Howard achieved the first series of classifications of clouds, creating a standard vocabulary that was essential for conveying accurate weather information among observers.

Francis Ronalds invents recording meteorological cameras

1845

Francis Ronalds invented instruments to continuously record variations in meteorological parameters using photography. His cameras were later supplied to observing stations from Kew Observatory, and his barograph had earlier been used by Robert FitzRoy.

Image source: Francis Ronalds

Francis Ronalds invents recording meteorological cameras

Barometric pressure used in forecasting

1875

Measurements of barometric pressure and the pressure tendency (the change of pressure over time) have been used in forecasting since the late 19th century, becoming a fundamental tool for predicting weather changes.

Image source: Barometer

Barometric pressure used in forecasting

International Cloud Atlas standardizes cloud classification

1896

To convey accurate information, a standard vocabulary describing clouds became necessary. This was standardized in the International Cloud Atlas of 1896, building on Luke Howard's earlier classifications.

Image source: International Cloud Atlas

International Cloud Atlas standardizes cloud classification

Fire weather indices developed worldwide

1980

Indices such as the Canadian Forest fire weather index, the American Haines Index, and the Australian Fire Danger Rating System have been developed to predict the areas more at risk of fire from natural or human causes.

American Haines Index dropped from use

2025

The American Haines Index, once used alongside other fire weather indices to assess fire risk, was dropped from use in 2025 as fire danger assessment methods evolved.

Telegraph Era Forecasting

Invention of the electric telegraph

1835

The invention of the electric telegraph marked the beginning of the modern age of weather forecasting, allowing warnings of approaching storms to be transmitted far faster than the storms themselves could travel.

Image source: Electrical telegraph

Invention of the electric telegraph

Robert FitzRoy appointed chief of Board of Trade department

1854

Robert FitzRoy was appointed in 1854 as chief of a new department within the Board of Trade to deal with the collection of weather data at sea as a service to mariners.

Image source: Robert FitzRoy

Robert FitzRoy appointed chief of Board of Trade department

Royal Charter storm inspires forecasting charts

Oct 1859

A storm in October 1859 that caused the loss of the Royal Charter inspired Robert FitzRoy to develop charts to allow predictions to be made, which he called 'forecasting the weather', thus coining the term 'weather forecast'.

Image source: Royal Charter Storm

Royal Charter storm inspires forecasting charts

First weather maps produced

1861

The first weather maps were produced later in the same year as the first daily newspaper forecasts, providing a visual representation of atmospheric conditions across regions.

Image source: Weather map

First weather maps produced

FitzRoy initiates shipping warning service

Feb 1861

FitzRoy's warning service for shipping was initiated in February 1861, using telegraph communications to alert mariners of dangerous conditions at sea.

First daily weather forecasts published in The Times

Aug 1, 1861

The first-ever daily weather forecasts were published in The Times on August 1, 1861, bringing weather predictions directly to the general public for the first time.

Image source: Weather forecasting

First daily weather forecasts published in The Times

FitzRoy publishes 'The Weather Book'

1863

The 'Weather Book', which Robert FitzRoy published in 1863, was far in advance of the scientific opinion of the time, laying out his ideas on storm systems and forecasting methodology.

Broadcasting & Media

Met Office issues first marine radio forecasts

1911

In 1911, the Met Office began issuing the first marine weather forecasts via radio transmission, extending its warning services to ships at sea through new wireless technology.

Image source: Met Office

Met Office issues first marine radio forecasts

First public radio forecasts in the United States

1925

In the United States, the first public radio forecasts were made in 1925 by Edward B., marking the beginning of regular broadcast weather reporting to American audiences.

BBC broadcasts first televised weather forecasts

Nov 1936

The world's first televised weather forecasts, including the use of weather maps, were experimentally broadcast by the BBC in November 1936, pioneering the presentation of weather information on television.

First US televised forecast by Edward B. Fidler

1947

Edward B. Fidler delivered early television weather reports in Cincinnati on the DuMont Television Network, an early milestone in American broadcast meteorology.

BBC weather broadcasts become regular practice

1949

After being experimentally introduced in 1936, televised weather forecasting was brought into practice by the BBC in 1949, following World War II, establishing it as a routine part of broadcasting.

George Cowling presents first on-camera forecast before a map

1954

George Cowling gave the first weather forecast while being televised in front of the map in 1954, introducing the familiar style of a presenter explaining the weather live on screen.

The Weather Channel launches

1982

In 1982, John Coleman partnered with Landmark Communications CEO Frank Batten to launch The Weather Channel (TWC), a 24-hour cable network devoted to national and local weather reports.

Image source: The Weather Channel

The Weather Channel launches

Numerical Prediction

Lewis Fry Richardson publishes 'Weather Prediction By Numerical Process'

1922

English scientist Lewis Fry Richardson published 'Weather Prediction By Numerical Process' in 1922, based on notes and derivations he worked on as an ambulance driver in World War I, founding the field of numerical weather prediction.

Image source: Lewis Fry Richardson

Lewis Fry Richardson publishes 'Weather Prediction By Numerical Process'

Practical numerical weather prediction begins

1955

Practical use of numerical weather prediction began in 1955, spurred by the development of programmable electronic computers that could perform the massive calculations required to model the atmosphere.

Image source: Numerical weather prediction

Practical numerical weather prediction begins

Edward Lorenz identifies limits of long-range forecasting

1963

As proposed by Edward Lorenz in 1963, long-range forecasts made at a range of two weeks or more cannot definitively predict the state of the atmosphere, owing to the chaotic nature of the fluid dynamics equations involved.

Image source: Edward Norton Lorenz

Edward Lorenz identifies limits of long-range forecasting

30-day ensemble simulations of Madden–Julian oscillation presented

2024

In 2024, researchers presented 30-day ensemble simulations of the Madden–Julian oscillation, advancing the ability to model this major driver of tropical weather variability over extended ranges.

Image source: Madden–Julian oscillation

30-day ensemble simulations of Madden–Julian oscillation presented

AI & Modern Forecasting

US spends $5.8 billion on weather forecasting

2009

In 2009, the US spent approximately $5.8 billion on weather forecasting, producing benefits estimated at six times as much, underscoring the enormous economic value of accurate predictions.

ECMWF launches AIFS model

2022 - 2023

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts' Artificial Intelligence/Integrated Forecasting System (AIFS) appeared in 2022–2023, bringing AI-based prediction to one of the world's leading forecast centers.

Jua's EPT-family models appear

2022 - 2023

Jua's EPT-family models appeared in 2022–2023, joining the growing roster of artificial intelligence models transforming operational weather forecasting.

WindBorne's WeatherMesh model appears

2022 - 2023

WindBorne's WeatherMesh model appeared during 2022–2023, contributing to the rapid growth of AI-driven approaches to global weather prediction.

Nvidia's FourCastNet and Earth-2 appear

2022 - 2023

Nvidia's FourCastNet and Earth-2 platforms debuted in 2022–2023, applying GPU-accelerated artificial intelligence to high-resolution weather simulation and forecasting.

Google's GraphCast model appears

2022 - 2023

Google's GraphCast emerged in 2022–2023 as part of the wave of machine-learning weather models capable of producing fast, accurate global forecasts.

Huawei's Pangu-Weather model appears

2022 - 2023

Huawei's Pangu-Weather model appeared in 2022–2023 as one of a new generation of AI-based weather forecasting systems demonstrating skill comparable to traditional physics-based models.

AIFS begins publishing real-time forecasts

2024

In 2024, AIFS started to publish real-time forecasts, showing specific skill at predicting hurricane tracks, but lower-performing on the intensity changes of such storms relative to physics-based models.

Image source: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts

AIFS begins publishing real-time forecasts

Google DeepMind publishes GenCast model

2024

In 2024, a group of researchers at Google's DeepMind AI research laboratories published a paper in Nature describing their machine-learning model, called GenCast, which is expected to produce more accurate forecasts than the best traditional weather forecasting systems.

Image source: Google DeepMind

Google DeepMind publishes GenCast model

Key Facts

  1. Ancient Babylonians attempted to predict weather from cloud patterns around 650 BCE, while Aristotle's treatise 'Meteorologica' (c. 340 BCE) laid early theoretical foundations for understanding weather phenomena.
  2. In 1654, Ferdinand II de' Medici established one of the first organized weather observation networks, and Galileo's thermometer (1593) and Torricelli's barometer (1643) made quantitative measurement possible.
  3. The invention of the telegraph in the 1830s–1840s enabled rapid collection of weather data across long distances; Robert FitzRoy founded the UK Met Office in 1854 and issued the first official public storm warnings.
  4. Lewis Fry Richardson's 1922 attempt at numerical weather prediction by hand demonstrated that mathematical equations could forecast weather, a concept realized practically with the ENIAC computer's first successful numerical forecasts in 1950.
  5. The launch of TIROS-1, the first weather satellite, in 1960 revolutionized forecasting by providing global views of cloud systems, leading to today's highly accurate computer models and severe storm warning capabilities.

Source

This History of Weather Forecasting timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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