When the wind backs
                            and the weather

                            glass falls,

                            Then be on your

                            guard against gales

                            and squalls.



  [Image]              For many years following the invention of the

                       mercurial barometer by Evangelista Torricelli in

  The fundamental      1643, attempts to forecast the weather depended

  design of the        primarily upon this one piece of technology. Those

  mercurial            systematically observing the instrument (which

  barometer, pictured  measures atmospheric pressure by means of a column

  here,                of mercury) soon noted a correlation between

  has changed little   rising and falling atmospheric pressure

  since its invention  (colloquially referred to as a rising or falling

  in 1643. Even        barometer) and the subsequent behavior of the

  today, it remains    weather. For example, a falling barometer

  the worldwide        frequently announced deteriorating weather

  standard for         conditions. In the present age, while

  measuring            meteorologists still closely monitor the rise and

  atmospheric          fall of the barometer as they go about preparing

  pressure.            weather forecasts, they also use a variety of far

                       more sophisticated tools. Mathematical simulations

                       of the atmosphere (called models), computers,

                       meteorological satellites, automated surface

                       observing systems, and weather surveillance radars

                       are the types of tools found in the present-day

                       meteorologist's weather forecasting toolbox. As we

                       approach the dawn of the 21st century, an

                       impressive array of sophisticated technology is

                       being added to the toolbox. The older, somewhat

                       crude atmospheric models are being replaced with

                       high-resolution models that use mathematical

                       equations of much greater complexity requiring

                       billions of mathematical calculations to describe

                       and predict the state of the atmosphere.

                       Operational use of these complex models is made

                       possible by the introduction of new high-speed

                       computers. Improved meteorological satellites

                       provide the meteorologist with much clearer

                       pictures of the atmosphere, and new

                       state-of-the-art weather surveillance radars

                       systematically probe the atmosphere providing

                       meteorological data with better detail than ever

                       before. The meteorologists providing weather

                       support for the 1996 Games will be making use of

                       all of these technological advances.



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        THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: WEATHER AND THE XXVI OLYMPIAD