Brief Description
This book, first published in 2006, is a history of weather forecasting for researchers, graduate students and professionals in numerical weather forecasting.
Learn More about the Book
Lewis Fry Richardson dreamt that scientific weather prediction would one day become a practical reality. Before his ideas could bear fruit several advances were needed: better understanding of the dynamics of the atmosphere; stable computational algorithms to integrate the equations; regular observations of the free atmosphere; and powerful automatic computer equipment. By 1950 advances in all these fronts were sufficient to permit the first computer forecast to be made. Over the ensuing fifty years progress in numerical weather prediction has been dramatic. Weather prediction and climate modelling have now reached a high level of sophistication. This book, first published in 2006, tells the story of Richardson's trial forecast, and the fulfilment of his dream of practical numerical weather forecasting. It includes a complete reconstruction of Richardson's forecast, and analyses in detail the causes of his failure. This will appeal to everyone involved in numerical weather forecasting, from researchers and graduate students to professionals.
About the Author
Peter Lynch is Met Eireann Professor of Meteorology at the University College Dublin and Director of the UCD Meteorology and Climate Centre. Prior to this he was Deputy Director of Met Eireann, the Irish Meteorological Service. He is a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, the Royal Astronomical Society, the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, and the Institute of Physics.
Review Quotes
1. ."..Lynch serves as an experienced guide--a trusted leader and companion who possesses the macroscopic view of Richardson's work and adds detail from his pervasive knowledge of the subject. Beyond the knowledge, he has the gift of writing where hard mathematical fact is eloquently mixed with history and that occasional but welcome tincture of humor. ... [this author gives] us the solid theory that is masterfully blended with history. The subjects come to life and inspire us. [This book] has a special place on my bookshelf. It is a treasure, and I will refer to it often." - John M. Lewis, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
2. ..".Lynch serves as an experienced guide--a trusted leader and companion who possesses the macroscopic view of Richardson's work and adds detail from his pervasive knowledge of the subject. Beyond the knowledge, he has the gift of writing where hard mathematical fact is eloquently mixed with history and that occasional but welcome tincture of humor. ... [this author gives] us the solid theory that is masterfully blended with history. The subjects come to life and inspire us. [This book] has a special place on my bookshelf. It is a treasure, and I will refer to it often." - John M. Lewis, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
3. "The Emergence of Numerical Weather Prediction is the best single source available for understanding Richardson's forecast--better even than Richardson's own book.... Lynch's book is more than just a historical case study--he has provided an insider's guide to how weather prediction works.
Brian Hayes, American Scientist
