The Discovery of Weather

Stephen Saxby, the tumultuous birth of weather forecasting, and Saxby's Gale of 1869

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Other Sciences, Meteorology, History, Canada
Cover of the book The Discovery of Weather by Jerry Lockett, Formac Publishing Company Limited
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jerry Lockett ISBN: 9781459500815
Publisher: Formac Publishing Company Limited Publication: September 26, 2012
Imprint: Formac Language: English
Author: Jerry Lockett
ISBN: 9781459500815
Publisher: Formac Publishing Company Limited
Publication: September 26, 2012
Imprint: Formac
Language: English

In the mid-nineteenth century, the new science of weather forecasting was fraught with controversy on both sides of the Atlantic. In the United States, a bitter dispute about the nature of storms had raged for decades, and forecasting was hampered by turf wars then halted by the Civil War. Forecasters in England struggled with the scientific establishment for recognition and vied with astrologers and other charlatans for public acceptance.

One of the voices in this struggle was Stephen Saxby, a British naval instructor who thought he had found a sure-fire way of forecasting storms. He championed a popular but somewhat eccentric theory that weather disturbances are linked to stages in the moon's orbit of the earth.

Saxby got lucky. One of his well-known long-range predictions--for a serious storm on October 4, 1869--was right on the button. On that very day, a deadly hurricane caused massive floods along the eastern seaboard of the United States then barrelled ashore at the Canadian border. The timing of the storm could hardly have been worse. Coinciding with an extremely high tide, the resulting storm surge breached centuries-old dykes at the head of the Bay of Fundy.

In The Discovery of Weather, author Jerry Lockett traces the early days of weather forecasting, the background to Saxby's prediction, and the drama of the storm itself.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the mid-nineteenth century, the new science of weather forecasting was fraught with controversy on both sides of the Atlantic. In the United States, a bitter dispute about the nature of storms had raged for decades, and forecasting was hampered by turf wars then halted by the Civil War. Forecasters in England struggled with the scientific establishment for recognition and vied with astrologers and other charlatans for public acceptance.

One of the voices in this struggle was Stephen Saxby, a British naval instructor who thought he had found a sure-fire way of forecasting storms. He championed a popular but somewhat eccentric theory that weather disturbances are linked to stages in the moon's orbit of the earth.

Saxby got lucky. One of his well-known long-range predictions--for a serious storm on October 4, 1869--was right on the button. On that very day, a deadly hurricane caused massive floods along the eastern seaboard of the United States then barrelled ashore at the Canadian border. The timing of the storm could hardly have been worse. Coinciding with an extremely high tide, the resulting storm surge breached centuries-old dykes at the head of the Bay of Fundy.

In The Discovery of Weather, author Jerry Lockett traces the early days of weather forecasting, the background to Saxby's prediction, and the drama of the storm itself.

More books from Formac Publishing Company Limited

Cover of the book Lilly and the Hullabaloo by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book Oak Island and its Lost Treasure by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book Morgan's Pet Plot by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book The Lady of the Ice by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book Valour at Vimy Ridge by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book Morgan on Ice by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book Super Move, Morgan! by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book Toby's Best Friend by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book Mysteries, Legends and Myths of the First World War by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book Fiction Treasures by Maritime Writers by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book Lilly Takes the Lead by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book Campfire Morgan by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book Lilly's Special Gift by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book Morgan Gets Cracking by Jerry Lockett
Cover of the book A Changed Heart by Jerry Lockett
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy