The weather affects everyone at sea, whether you are pottering along the coast, motoring from port to port or sailing to another continent. This book explains the basic principles that govern the weather from a practical, on the water, sailor's point of view. It goes through global, regional and then local weather patterns so you understand what is happening, how this might change and why. Armed with this knowledge and understanding you will be more confident to make decisions about when and when not to venture out to sea and what to expect if things change while you are out there. Simon Rowell shares his experience as a round-the world skipper and world-class weather forecaster. He explains the basic physics creatively and puts it in context with real situations to enable you to apply weather theory to practical sailing scenarios. Hundreds of illustrations aid the communication of what can be a complex subject, enabling you to better understand the weather and increase your enjoyment and safety when out on the water. This book is part of Fernhurst Books' Skipper's Library series of practical books for the cruising sailor.

Flooding of coastal communities is one of the major causes of environmental disasters world-wide. This textbook explains at a basic level, how sea levels are affected by astronomical tides, by weather effects that generate extreme flooding events, and over the longer term by ocean circulation and climate trends. It also indicates how sea level changes are related to changing risks, coastal dynamics, geology and biology; and outlines some of the economic and legal implications. Based on courses taught by the author in the UK and the USA, this book is aimed at undergraduate students at all levels, with the text developed in such a way that non-basic mathematics is confined to Appendices and a web site (http://publishing.cambridge.org/resources/0521532183/). Changing Sea Levels will also interest and inform professionals in many fields including hydrography, coastal engineering, geology, biology and also coastal planning and economics.

This sobering examination of climate-change and the disastrous effects of rising sea levels explains what must be done to avoid the worst outcomes. By the end of this century, hundreds of millions of people living at low elevations along coasts will be forced to retreat to higher and safer ground. Because of sea-level rise, major storms will inundate areas farther inland and will lay waste to critical infrastructure, such as water-treatment and energy facilities, creating vast, irreversible pollution by decimating landfills and toxic-waste sites. Retreat from a Rising Sea explains in gripping terms what rising oceans will do to coastal cities—detailing the specific threats faced by Miami, New Orleans, New York, and Amsterdam. This policy-oriented book then lays out the drastic actions we must take now to remove vulnerable populations. Aware of the overwhelming social, political, and economic challenges that would accompany effective action, the authors consider the burden to the taxpayer and the logistics of moving landmarks and infrastructure, including toxic-waste sites. They also show readers the alternative: thousands of environmental refugees, with no legitimate means to regain what they have lost. The authors conclude with effective approaches for addressing climate-change denialism and powerful arguments for reforming U.S. federal coastal management policies.

Just as self-steering systems and autopilots have given the offshore seaman another pair of hands to steer the boat, so sea anchors and drogues have provided another means of handling threatening seas. Heavy Weather Tactics: Using Sea Anchors & Drogues is a classic; the last word on a subject of very great concern to leisure boaters and professional seamen alike, providing the reader with in-depth advice and analysis about: How deep water and coastal waves behave; How to deploy a sea anchor or drogue, and how it works; Different designs and their merits; What size of drag device is needed for a yacht, multihull, motorboat, fishing boat or working craft; Sea anchors for life rafts; How to make a makeshift sea anchor from whatever is at hand.This is the most detailed study available of a highly effective strategy for dealing with severe weather. Anyone putting to sea in a yacht or power driven vessel should carry a copy on board.

From deciding the best day for a picnic, to the devastating effects of hurricanes and typhoons, the weather impacts our lives on a daily basis. Although new techniques allow us to forecast the weather with increasing accuracy, most people do not realise the vast global movements and forces which result in their day-to-day weather. In this Very Short Introduction Storm Dunlop explains what weather is and how it differs from climate, discussing what causes weather, and how we measure it. Analysing the basic features and properties of the atmosphere, he shows how these are directly related to the weather experienced on the ground, and to specific weather phenomena and extreme weather events. He describes how the global patterns of temperature and pressure give rise to the overall circulation within the atmosphere, the major wind systems, and the major oceanic currents, and how features such as mountains and the sea affect local weather. He also looks at examples of extreme and dangerous weather, such as of tropical cyclones (otherwise known as hurricanes and typhoons), describing how 'Hurricane Hunters' undertake the dangerous task of flying through them. We measure weather in a number of ways: observations taken on the land and sea; observations within the atmosphere; and measurements from orbiting satellites. Dunlop concludes by looking at how these observations have been used to develop increasingly sophisticated long- and short-range weather forecasting, including ensemble forecasting. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Published in 1893, this is the second edition of an entertaining and fascinating collection of proverbs, rhymes and sayings about the weather.