Geography pupils, studying for their IGCSE exams at the International School of the Algarve, took part recently in an internet-based project called MetLink International, which involved recording the weather over a two-week period.
Members of the Education Committee of the Royal Meteorological Society of Britain have organised the flagship weather project every year since 1998. The idea is for participants around the world to make and exchange weather observations once a day for two weeks. Then, with the help and guidance of meteorological professionals, students are able to analyse and interpret their observations.
This year, the list of participants included schools based in India, Qatar, Romania, New Zealand, Switzerland, the USA, Finland, Australia, Hong Kong and Kenya, as well as numerous schools in the UK, round-the-world yachtsmen and individual weather enthusiasts.
Geography pupils at the International School made a study of the methods and instruments used for recording weather in order to prepare for participation in the project. Having gained this information, the pupils set up a weather station at the school. Once the results from the weather station had been collected each day, they were logged into the MetLink website to be read by participants around the world.
In addition to supporting the weather on the web project, a prognosis of the weather in Europe can be obtained, for up to 132 hours in advance, from the Bracknell Weather Station in the UK via the MetLink website, www.metlink.org
