Product Description

Storms are the most eye-catching of all types of weather and often hit the headlines. They can bring violent winds, torrential rain, thunder, lightning, devastating hailstones and, sometimes, waterspouts and tornadoes. The consequences range from death and destruction on a horrendous scale to shipwrecks and flooding of biblical proportions. This book, written by two well-known TV weather forecasters, is published to mark the twentieth anniversary of the October 1987 hurricane that Michael Fish famously failed to predict. This great storm, which flattened much of south-eastern England, receives detailed coverage as do many other instances of weather at its worst. Here are extraordinary human stories recalling the appalling havoc wrought along England's East Coast in January 1953, the millions of pounds of damage following the infamous Burns Night storm in Scotland, and flood disasters in the West Country that overwhelmed such villages as Lynmouth and Boscastle, The increasing incidence of violent storms as a result of climate change receives full attention. A sequel to the same authors' best-selling "Frozen in Time", this is a book with many dramatic photographs that also provides an exciting read and is at the same time immensely thought provoking.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #166570 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 160 pages

About the Author
Ian McCaskill Ian McCaskill was born in Glasgow. Following a stint in the RAF, he joined the Met Office in 1961 and became a member of the BBC's forecasting team where he remained until his retirement from the Met Office on 31 July 1998. As a BBC weatherman, Ian was hugely popular for his cheery, sometimes eccentric and always entertaining style. Since retiring from regular weather forecasting duties, he has been a guest on numerous TV programmes, including Masterchef, Style Challenge and Fit Club. His distinctive style has made him the most imitated BBC TV weather forecaster, culminating in the ultimate accolade - his own Spitting Image puppet. Michael Fish Born in Eastbourne and a graduate of City University, London, Michael Fish was the longest serving weather presenter on British television, taking up the role in 1974. For many people, he is synonymous with the hurricane of October 1987, being the BBC TV weather forecaster on air on the night of the great storm. Michael was awarded the MBE in 2004 for services to broadcasting. He announced his retirement from forecasting and he made his final forecast on October 6, 2004 on the BBC Ten O'Clock News bulletin.

Customer Reviews

A Superb Book About Nature at it's Most Devastating
This is an excellent book which will be of interest to anyone who is interested in the weather and British history - it has a lighteness of touch which makes it extremely readable as well as being very informative. It starts with a look at the Great Storm of 1987 and gives a really interesting behind-the-scenes look at how the Met Office coped with an event that caught us all off guard. One can't help feeling sorry for Michael Fish and Ian McCaskill who bore the brunt of a nation's anger that we weren't warned about the impending storm. However, in this book they give their side of the story. But the book is about more than just the 1987 storm it looks at a wide range of dramatic weather events throughout history and is bang up to date in its coverage of this summer's flooding. This is just as good as the authors' previous work, Frozen in Time and the section on climate change shows that they really know their stuff. I recommend it

Excellent Book
This book is crammed full of interesting historical facts about the worst storms, flood and gales that have hit the Bristish Isles over the last few hundred years. The fact that two of the authors, Michael Fish and Ian McCaskill, were at the heart of the events that unfolded in October 1987 when the worst ever storm blew in, gives the book authenticity. Whilst Fish, McCaskill and the third author, Paul Hudson, are all trained meterologists and bring a scientific rigour to their subject, they never lose sight of the fact that dramatic weather often has a tragic impact on human lives - their description of the North Coast Storm Surge of 1953 in which several hundred people lost their lives, is particularly moving. It is bang up to date in its coverage of this summer's floods and the chapter on climate change is very thought provoking. All in all a thoroughly good book on a fascinating topic. Highly recommended.

The History of weather forecasting
As an ex-weather-forecaster, I bought this book wondering what it might have to say on the advice of a trusted friend. I was not disappointed and have found it a very interesting and different look at meteorology.

This book is written from the perspective of severe weather he;ping to develop the forecasting services we see today. At times it is a bit of a list of - this storm and this damage, that storm and damage - but overall it is well worth the read and provides an interesting insight to the way weather forecasting has developed.

It is an easy read and non-technical English and I would recommend it to experts and novices alike.