how to process a simple loop in WWW::Mechanize to be more efficient?

METEOROLOGISTS! Colour meanings in the 'Rainbow Colour Infrared' map?

• What do the colours in the map mean? Does red mean rainy area or low pressure area and is purple the complete opposite of that? I know the rotating masses are obviously typhoons/hurricanes or at least on the process of becoming one, I just need help with the colours and maybe some. please take a look at these maps from the NOAA http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/mtsat/twpac/rb-l.jpg > West Pacific http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/tpac/rb-l.jpg > East Pacific I always refer to loop versions of those maps to see if a typhoon is heading for my country. thanks!

• Answer:

  Those are satellites infra-red pictures. The infra-red frequency of the electromagnetic energy is the one carrying about 49 percent of the thermal energy. What you see is, actually, a thermal map of the region. The higher the cloud, the colder it will be. The red areas of the map show places with high and dense clouds. Therefore those are center of dense clouds causing precipitations of rain or snow. Just as a reminder; until the invention of the telegraph, in the 19th century, it was impossible to make a "snapshot" of the present weather situation. But when e.g. temperature and pressure from many places of observation was possible then synoptic maps could be drawn with lines of equal pressure (isobars) and equal temperatures (isotherms). Region of low and high pressure could be found and the evolution of the weather, predicted. Then we started using balloons called radiosondes to measure the difference of temperature with altitude. Our vision of the atmosphere became three dimensional. Today, we can add observation from weather radars and satellites to complete the picture. As a Norwegian, I would like to thank the American tax-payers to make it possible through the work of the NOAA and NASA. ... and while I am at it; thanks to the NASA and DoD for the GPS system! ;-)