Weather provides a wide variety of stimuli for our senses. The sound of thunder and gales and the smell of damp soil at the start of a summer thunderstorm are temporary phenomena, while the visual panorama of the changing sky provides a more revealing insight into the workings of the dynamic atmosphere. Understanding Weather shows how it is possible to understand weather and climate by combining our ability to observe weather systems from the earth's surface with visualization from above -- notably by means of satellite imagery. This fusion of human observation with the capabilities of remote sensing gives us a new perspective for exploring the three dimensional atmosphere. Remote sensing imagery and real-time weather information are now widely available through the internet, allowing the reader to relate the case studies to today's weather situation. As with all sciences, understanding starts with careful observation. This books aims to show that it is possible to analyse global weather systems using a visual approach rather than via the traditional methods of mathematics and physics. After examining the interaction of atmospheric heat, moisture and motion in a non-technical style, the contrasting but complementary techniques of weather observation from 'below' and 'above' are compared. The world's climates are then surveyed with key weather features illustrated by satellite imagery, highlighting the way in which weather events may develop into atmospheric hazards.