Every day is a school day thanks to social media, and we’ve certainly learned a lot due to the likes of Instagram and TikTok.
In today’s lesson, class, we will learn exactly what your weather app means when it forecasts ‘per cent’ chance of rain.
Watch the video below.
When we see storm clouds in the sky and we use our weather app to see the rainy symbol plus 70 per cent, we assumed it meant 70 per cent chance of rain, right?
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Well, apparently not.
In a video posted by Instagrammer Sidney Raz (who uses his account to document things he wish he was told before he was 30), he explains: “30 per cent chance of rain does not mean there’s a 30 per cent chance of rain.
“It means 30 per cent of the forecasted area might get rain.”
Whaaaaaat?
Confused? Us too.
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Thankfully, there’s a Reddit thread that explains exactly what is meant by that.
“The amount of the area that is predicted to receive rain also factors into the equation. The forecaster can be 100 per cent confident it will rain, but predict it will only rain in 30 per cent of the area making it a 30 per cent chance of rain.
"Or they can be 50 per cent confidence that it will rain in 80 per cent area making it a 40 per cent chance of rain. They use a percent confidence x area affected formula to calculate the data."
Still scratching your heads? Well, Tyla turned to the Met Office for a touch more clarity.
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“In weather forecasting, suppose the Met Office says that the probability of rain tomorrow in your region is 80 per cent," their website explains.
“They aren't saying that it will rain in 80 per cent of the land area of your region, and not rain in the other 20 per cent. Nor are they saying it will rain for 80 per cent of the time.
"What they are saying is there is an 80 per cent chance of rain occurring at any one place in the region, such as in your garden."
Either way, this is Blighty – we’d always pack a brolly, just in case.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash