MOST OF US check the weather forecast because we want to know how it will affect our day-to-day lives. Will we be able to have that family picnic at the weekend? Will we have to turn on the central heating? Will it rain so that that hosepipe ban will be lifted? When will the hot, humid weather break so we can sleep comfortably at night? That’s usually as far as our interest in the weather goes.
But our understanding of the weather and its causes is of vital importance to human survival. While most of us are no longer vulnerable to the extremes of weather that would have killed off many of our ancestors – who did not have the luxury of heated, air-conditioned, insulated housing – global warming and its effects is something that threatens to affect us all. Now more than ever it is important to understand what weather patterns mean, and how we can predict any changes that might have an impact on human life.
The Weather Book helps the reader understand the basic principles of weather formation and explains not only the localized effects of weather but also the global repercussions of climate change, allowing readers to talk with confidence on the topic that is on everybody’s lips.