Weather reconnaissance
![A WC-130 Weatherbird hurricane hunter](/Images/godic/202502/20/WC-130J_Hercules_of_the_53rd_Weather_Reconnaissance_Squadron1537.jpg")
![Weather balloon](/Images/godic/202502/20/Ballon_radiosonde_f1537.jpg")
Weather reconnaissance is the acquisition of weather data used for research and planning. Typically the term reconnaissance refers to observing weather from the air, as opposed to the ground (for example, ground based weather radar).