Long range weather forecast

Short-range weather forecasts usually look 7-10 days ahead of the present time.

These forecasts rely on a network of observations from ground and sea based weather stations, along with satellite imagery.

Long-range forecasting can look out to periods 3 months ahead.

In Australia, these long-range forecasts are often based on global scale weather patterns such as El Nino, along with Sea Surface Temperatures of the oceans around the continent.

Long-range forecasts can be a helpful guide to weather for an upcoming season, although they do become less reliable when there are no strong ocean or global circulation signals.