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Abstract: The World Weather Watch has received much of its impetus from rapid advances in the ability to construct viable theoretical models of the atmosphere, and in fact, of the entire fluid envelope of the Earth. With increased detail and fidelity, these models display a growing capability of simulating the flow, the thermal, and the hydrologic characteristics of the general circulation. This represents a significant maturity of our understanding of the atmosphere as a physical system.The World Weather Watch has received much of its impetus from rapid advances in the ability to construct viable theoretical models of the atmosphere, and in fact, of the entire fluid envelope of the Earth. With increased detail and fidelity, these models display a growing capability of simulating the flow, the thermal, and the hydrologic characteristics of the general circulation. This represents a significant maturity of our understanding of the atmosphere as a physical system. # Furthermore, recent experiments with such models suggest levels of deterministic predictability of the atmosphere which may be valid for weeks in advance.
There are two main and crucial technological obstacles to further scientific development and to its full and rapid exploitation for practical application. # 1) Computers must be at least 100 times faster than the best at present # 2) The structure of the global atmosphere and the oceans must be much better defined through observation.