Book Review - The Little Book of Weather - Princeton University Press

      I remember well the first book that I ever consulted to try to understand weather more completely. It was Weather and Bird Behaviour by Norman Elkins, and it has been consulted many times since in my quest to better understand bird distribution, migration and their response to adverse weather events. That book, first published in 1983, now seems almost quaint in some sections, and Elkins could have barely envisioned the immense power of modern computers, coupled with artificial intelligence, to predict current weather with impressive accuracy. From long term forecasts, to the precise time and location of a hurricane making landfall, along with its wind speed, meteorology has advanced in quantum leaps.

     Adam Scaife in this Little Book of Weather does a tremendous job of bringing us up to speed with the latest technology and the projected sophistication still to come.

     Along the way he reviews the history of meteorology as a science, and notes the steps that have brought us to where we are today. We are introduced to weather luminaries, many of whom have given their name to atmospheric phenomena, e.g. Milankovitch Cycles, Hadley Cells, and others. 

     A full understanding is gained of events like El Niño and La Niña, terms bandied about at will, yet probably poorly understood by many. The hydrology cycle is  explained and the way in which anthropogenic practices are interfering with it. Deforestation is contributing to changes in the distribution of moisture around the world and increasing ocean temperatures are the forerunners of more intense and more frequent hurricanes and cyclones.

     The book is nicely illustrated by Claudia Myatt, a British illustrator with a particular penchant for scenes of the sea.

     Scaife discusses the inextricable link between weather and the food supply, the health of the soil, the frequency of pest outbreaks. Sadly, past mismanagement, outright abuse and profligacy of the most egregious kind seems unlikely to change any time soon. We seem resolutely determined to resist learning from our mistakes and correcting course.

     There are nations where absolute denial of the climate crisis is the default position of the day, and even in those where our perilous position is acknowledged, remediation is slow to occur. In the meantime, consideration is being given to adding a Category 6 to hurricanes, in recognition of the  manner in which we have altered the the structure of the biosphere, making the potential for such terrifying storms an exponentially increasing possibility.  

     There is much more in this little book. Since weather affects all of us and no one is immune from climate systems gone awry, it is essential reading. Be sure to get your copy.

The Little Book of Weather - Princeton University Press

Adam Scaife

Hardback - $15.95 USD - ISBN: 9780691259994

160 pages - 3.75 x 6 inches (9.375 x 15 cm)

140 Colour illustrations

Publication date: 22 October, 2024