Cloud warriors Deadly storms, climate chaos - and the pioneers creating a revolution in weather forecasting

Weber interviews meteorologists and weather entrepreneurs, introducing readers to the "weather enterprise," which is the partnership between academia and the public and private sectors to forecast the weather and address forecasting needs for different constituencies of stakeholders. Together, these three groups tackle extreme-weather events such as tornadoes, lightning-strike fires, heat waves, and hurricanes and also create forecasts for constituents addressing local, hyperlocal, and long-term weather. In each instance, meteorologists strive to effectively communicate conditions and potential hazards both to the public and emergency managers in order to facilitate appropriate action and effective partnerships. Their job is made more complex by the addition of AI and machine learning to the changing weather-data landscape. Weber also looks at the disproportionate effects of climate change on minority and marginalized groups. He ends by advocating for public funding for the National Weather Service, which would preserve the current weather enterprise. A fascinating look at the state of weather forecasting.

This eye-opening debut investigation from journalist Weber examines contemporary efforts to improve weather predictions. Among those profiled is a meteorologist at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts who develops complex computer models that look as far as two years into the future by taking into account such minute phenomena as humidity changes from the evaporation of moisture from soil. Weber also tags along as a plucky storm chaser with the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Oklahoma braves hail and fierce winds while driving his truck, outfitted with meteorological equipment, into dangerous conditions to collect data on why certain storms produce tornadoes. Emphasizing the need for accurate weather forecasting in a warming world, Weber recounts how the government of Zimbabwe avoided famine in 2023 by distributing seeds of drought-resistant crops amid predictions of an unusually arid growing season. The vibrant profiles highlight the passion, expertise, and commitment of weather researchers, and the smart blend of meteorology and sociology reveals how extreme weather disproportionately affects the poor. For instance, Weber discusses how a campaign to create "heat maps" of American cities found that the hottest neighborhoods, with little tree cover and few parks, are low-income and home to primarily Black and Hispanic residents. It's an impassioned case for the value of weather forecasting. (June)