COVID-19 Having Impact on Weather Predictions

COVID-19 is having an impact on weather predictions.

Every forecast begins with the collection of information. This information comes from a variety of sources.

Perhaps one of the sources that does not come to mind is aircraft. Aircraft provide real-time data.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has exploded worldwide, there are fewer flights.

According to the ECMWF, aircraft reports are second only to satellite data in their impact on forecasts.

The reduction in flights means less valuable weather data that can be fed into weather models.