Here is another interesting weather forecast animation from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) which may be helpful for understanding the cyclic nature of the weather in the southern hemisphere –
http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/viewer/index.shtml?type=mslp-precip&tz=AEDT&area=SH&model=G&char tSubmit=Refresh+View
The interactive chart predicts surface pressure and rainfall for the next 7 days. It also gives a sense of the long term movements across the lower latitudes through Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and South Africa.
Clear skies are more likely when the centre of a high pressure system (marked ‘H’) is present with wide-spaced isobar lines.
Seeing these patterns has helped me to be more patient with the weather through understanding the inevitable cycle of these slow-moving systems and knowing that the next clear night is on its way (currently somewhere over the Indian Ocean, as the case may be).
Press the ‘play’ button to animate.
