Extensive observations are needed by scientists in order to compare the models with reality. Meteorological observations in maritime regions are particularly difficult, since these regions are not fully covered by ships or buoys with appropriate measurement devices. Space-based observations can help solve this problem. With satellite observations it is possible to observe meteorological processes in remote regions nearly all over the globe with high accuracy.
This animation shows the observed precipitation over the global ice-free ocean for 1987 to 2005 on the basis of the satellite climatology HOAPS-3, which was developed in Hamburg at the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology and the Meteorological Institute of the University of Hamburg.
More Information:
https://icdc.cen.uni-hamburg.de/hoaps.html