Weather forecasting is the most visible branch of meteorology and has its modern roots in the nineteenth century when scientists redefined meteorology in the way weather forecasts were made, developing maps of isobars, or lines of equal atmospheric pressure, as the main forecasting tool. This book is the history of how weather forecasting was moulded and modelled by the processes of nation-state building and statistics in the Western world.

List of members in v. 1, 8, etc.

This volume is an accont of early developments in meteorological research that brings to life the struggles of young pioneers—the trials and tribulations of developing new instruments, and the difficulty of sampling the atmosphere under challenging working conditions, to name just two. The book adds to the rich heritage of meteorological literature, documenting all the "firsts" achieved by this important weather observatory. An extensive bibliography of work by Observatroy personnel and source references to the Observatory's climatological data are provided. Heavily illustrated and richly detailed, this book will be of value to weather enthusiasts interested in the development of the science of meteorology, as well as to practicing meteorologists and weather historians wanting to study the growth of their scientific discipline.