Coming soon... theWeather Club Mon, 29/03/2021 - 16:35 ..read more

When is air stable or unstable? theWeather Club Thu, 25/03/2021 - 19:35 Meteorologists often talk about the atmosphere being either stable or unstable. But what does this mean? What do stability and instability look like? The clearest way to observe the difference between a stable and an unstable air mass is to look at the clouds: A stable atmosphere will have largely flat layers of cloud which, although they may exhibit some lumpiness, will not extend far upwards. There may several such layers or occasionally, clear skies. Unstable air will generally have tall cauliflower-like clouds kno ..read more

World Meteorology Day: 23 March 2021 theWeather Club Tue, 23/03/2021 - 16:10 The theme of this year’s World Meteorological Day is ‘The Ocean, our Climate and Weather.’ This reflects the understanding of the importance of the oceans to the planet:- Oceans cover 70% of the Earth's surface area 90% of the World’s trade is carried by the ocean The oceans directly sustain the 40% of humanity who reside within 100km of coasts It also forms part of the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) contribution to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). The ..read more

Aviation Forecasting - a Forecaster's Perspective theWeather Club Mon, 22/03/2021 - 11:27 Wanting to know what the weather is going to do today is a very British preoccupation. Although so many share this interest, a quick glance at a list of potential forecast customers reveals that everyone seems to need subtly different information. For example; gardeners worry about temperature and late frosts sailors need information about wind and sea state drivers want to know about icy patches on a freezing winter night people living on flood plains need heavy rain warnings This is one reason why t ..read more

WMO Retires Atlantic Hurricane Names theWeather Club Mon, 22/03/2021 - 10:55 As is customary when Hurricanes cause excessive devastation and loss of life, the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) Hurricane Committee has removed the names of the most serious culprits from possible future use. This year the retirees are Dorian, which hit the Bahamas in 2019, Laura which made landfall in Louisiana and Eta and Iota which particularly affected Nicaragua and Honduras, all in 2020. There has been a total of 93 names retired since 1953. In a separate development, the WMO has also decided to end ..read more

Winter Air Masses theWeather Club Wed, 17/03/2021 - 08:50 It has been said by visitors to the UK that it is possible to experience all four seasons in one day here. Perhaps that variability is at the root of our national interest in all things weather and climate-related, especially the desire to work out what is going to happen next. Fortunately, there is a way any of us can look at the weather to make a reasonable first guess at the forecast. That is by noticing from which direction the wind is blowing; known more formally as Air Mass analysis. In this blog, we look at why this can work a ..read more

UK Weather Review: Winter 2020/2021 theWeather Club Thu, 11/03/2021 - 09:46 It may be that meteorologists have decided that winter is over but unfortunately, the temperature in my living room seems determined not to provide any evidence of that! Overall, winter 2020/2021 saw temperature averages just below normal and rainfall well above average, but there was some notable variation in these parameters, both temporally and geographically. The Eastern side of the UK was especially wet, with Tyne and Wear having its wettest winter on record, whilst Cambridgeshire and Norfolk had their second we ..read more

Trawling for good news theWeather Club Wed, 03/03/2021 - 14:15 Photo Credit: Alan Searle There are plenty of statistics available in research papers which provide evidence that the seas are warming, both globally and around the UK coasts. Undoubtedly, this rise in water temperatures will have implications for marine wildlife. However, impacts below the water surface may well go largely unnoticed at first, emerging only when fishing industries find their traditional fishing grounds becoming less productive. Sea surface temperatures in waters around the UK have risen by an average of 0.8⁰C sin ..read more

Weather Photographer of the Year: Meet the Experts theWeather Club Wed, 24/02/2021 - 13:58 The Royal Meteorological Society, in association with AccuWeather, is hosting an exclusive FREE virtual event on Thursday 25 March 6-7pm (GMT) ahead of launching this year’s Weather Photographer of the Year competition at the end of April. A panel of professional photographers, previous winners, meteorologists and competition judges will spill the secrets on what makes a great weather photo, knowing the weather and getting the best out of your camera equipment. This event aims to help the audience unde ..read more

Breathing and Blowing theWeather Club Mon, 22/02/2021 - 14:08 I would like you try a small experiment. Put your hand close to your mouth and, with open lips, breathe on it as hard as you can. The air feels warm no matter how hard you breathe. Now do the same thing, but this time with pursed lips and blow on your hand as lightly as you can.  It feels cool no matter how softly you blow. The temperature of the air in the body is approximately constant and it is easy to see why air would be warm; your inside is warmer than your outside.  However, why is the ‘blown’ air cooler?  To ..read more