Difference between yohou and yosou

I was browsing around on the JWA website (http://www.jwa.or.jp/) and I noticed that they use two different words for "forecast/prediction" - 予報 and 予想. The latter was employed on the page where this year's sakura forecast was announced (桜開花予想 - http://www.jwa.or.jp/news/2015/02/post-000473.html).

I'm familiar with 予報, especially when used in the context of weather forecasts (天気予報) but this was the first time I've seen 予想. JDIC glosses both as forecast/prediction.

When is one or the other normally used?

Thanks all.

You can make "yosou" on your own (in your mind), but it is the TV or the newspapers and the like to make announcements - which is "yohou." The kanji for "hou" means to report, announce, etc.

In that sense, it's about the same in English, isn't it? I mean, you can make "predictions" in your mind, but you get to listen to or read forecast (announcement of someone else's prediction, so to say)?

Many thanks for the explanation, mate. I think it will be worth adding "yosou" to my practice set for this week. (^_^)

Cheers.

Just one more point I'm trying to puzzle out: since the sakura forecast was publicly announced on their website, any reason why they chose to label it as "yosou" (rather than "yohou" as used for the normal weather forecast page)?

Thanks.

I was looking up things a bit - it looks like there is a definition for "yohou" when it comes to JWA's act of publishing their prediction - it comes with the official purpose to notify everyone so as to allow people to ready themselves for the situation, or something like that. So they will continue to use the term "yohou" for publishing their views (on weather).

When it comes to "yosou" for things like cherry blossoms, I have no idea. Maybe they just want to say that this is ONLY their view & thoughts, based on their knowledge, nothing official, so don't blame us if we don't get it right? :)

Maybe they just want to say that this is ONLY their view & thoughts, based on their knowledge, nothing official, so don't blame us if we don't get it right? :)

You know, that actually makes sense in a way. An incorrect weather forecast is easy enough to guard against: bring an umbrella, keep your coat handy, etc. On the other hand, even a few days' error in the sakura forecast could cost holidaymakers a lot of time, money, and effort - so it pays to be just a wee bit vague in the terminology. (^_^)

Many thanks indeed for your thoughts - quite an enlightening discussion!

Cheers.