How the UK’s Hurricane-Strength Storm of 1987 Became a Famous Weather Forecasting Failure

www.nytimes.com

The Great Storm of 1987 was a forecasting blunder that left at least 18 people dead, felled 15 million trees and caused a billion pounds’ worth of damage.

‘The forest had gone’: the storm that moved a mountain

www.theguardian.com

The long read: On a small ledge in the Swiss mountains, 200 people were enjoying a summer football tournament. As night fell, they had no idea what was coming

Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

Yale Climate Connections

Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks that still stand today.

How a Trove of Whaling Logbooks Will Help Scientists Understand Our Changing Climate

Smithsonian Magazine

When the U.S. whaling industry was at its peak in the middle of the 19th century, crews relied heavily on the wind. Oil derived from captured whales helped power the machinery of the Industrial Revolution, but steam engines weren’t yet widely in use at sea.

Racing the Storm: The Story of the Mobile Bay Sailing Disaster

Smithsonian Magazine

When hurricane-force winds suddenly struck the Bay, they swept more than 100 boaters into one of the worst sailing disasters in modern American history The morning of April 25, 2015, arrived with only a whisper of wind.

The Weather Man

The moment Daniel Swain wakes up, he gets whipped about by hurricane-force winds.

With global warming of just 1.2°C, why has the weather gotten so extreme?

Yale Climate Connections

My cellphone chirps with a text message. I glance down. “Oh no!” I think. “It’s from Bob.” Fellow meteorologist Bob Henson has been my partner for many years in extreme weather blogging, and I always read his text messages with a mix of trepidation and eagerness.

Here’s what it was like to spend the night on Mount Washington during some of the wildest weather ever recorded

Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the weekly weather newsletter, the CNN Weather Brief, which is released every Monday. You can sign up here to receive them every week and during significant storms.

NOAA’s hurricane hunters are now targeting the West Coast’s atmospheric rivers

Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the weekly weather newsletter, the CNN Weather Brief, which is released every Monday. You can sign up here to receive them every week and during significant storms.

The Sydney Hobart Is a Dream to Win and Formidable to Navigate

In sailboat racing, the fastest route between Port A and Port B is rarely a straight line. This is certainly true of the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, which starts on Monday.

What on Earth is a polar vortex? And what’s global warming got to do with it?

Yale Climate Connections

It’s that time again. An influx of Arctic air is blasting across the U.S., sending temperatures plunging, dropping snow, disrupting Christmas travel plans, and setting social media atwitter about the polar vortex.

Weather window for crossing the Drake Passage

Ocean Navigator –

In the northern hemisphere as we move toward the winter solstice, our counterparts in the southern hemisphere are approaching their summer solstice with the longest day of the year on the way.

Growing the weather toolbox

It figures that a hurricane’s projected track aimed right at Totem while we traveled an ocean away by jet. That was Kay, in early September: now, it’s Ian we’re watching on the Atlantic side, glued to updates, fearing for the boats of friends and waiting on news.

Atmospheric ridges and troughs

Ocean Navigator –

The formation of ridges and troughs in the atmosphere has important effects on weather at sea. Here is a look at ridge and trough structures and how they can influence surface low pressure zones and precipitation.

‘Quite a ride!’: Hurricane Hunter Jack Parrish retires after 42 years

Yale Climate Connections

During a remarkable hurricane hunting career spanning 42 years, over 80 hurricanes, and 659 penetrations into hurricane eyes, NOAA meteorologist Jack Parrish retires this week. Perhaps no other meteorologist alive has seen more exceptional weather and worked with more top weather scientists than Mr.