Weather Maps · ECMWF

500 hPa height maps — ECMWF

Height of the 500 hPa level (about 5.5 km) out to five days, to follow upper-level lows.

Contains modified ECMWF data, licensed under CC BY 4.0

This ECMWF map shows the height of the 500 hPa pressure level, about 5.5 km above sea level, every 3 hours out to five days, in decametres. Low values mark an upper-level low or trough: colder air aloft that makes the air unstable and helps storm clouds, thunderstorms and rain form, especially with moisture near the ground. High values mark an upper-level high and settled weather. The map updates with each new model run; the run time and last update are shown under it. ECMWF is the global model of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.