Weather for Hillwalkers E-Book

Malcolm Thomas

• Herausgeber: The History Press
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 60

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

For years hillwalkers and climbers have struggled to understand the complexities of weather systems. Written by a professional weather forecaster, Weather for Hillwalkers provides invaluable insight to the beginner and veteran alike. Now in a new edition, Malcolm Thomas offers an understanding of the principles of the elements – the causes of wind, rain, snow, cloud, fog, thunder and clear skies – and looks at how they are affected by mountains and high ground. Readers will learn the terminology of depressions, warm and cold fronts, air masses and more; how to interpret weather maps; and how to make short-term weather forecasts from observations. This is essential reading for those tackling the elements amongst the hills.

Leseprobe

‘I wish this book had been available when I first became interested in the weather half a century ago! … I most certainly recommend it to anyone interested in understanding the weather and its effects on our outdoor pursuits.’

Bill Giles OBESenior WeathermanBBC Weather Centre

Cover image: iatsun/iStock

This edition published 2019

First published 1995

The History Press

97 St George’s Place, Cheltenham,

Gloucestershire, GL50 3QB

www.thehistorypress.co.uk

© Malcolm Thomas, 1995, 2019

The right of Malcolm Thomas to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the Publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 0 7509 9361 6

Typesetting and origination by The History Press

Printed and bound in Turkey by Imak

eBook converted by Geethik Technologies

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Foreword to the First Edition

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

One

The Atmosphere

Two

Clouds and Cloud Formation

Three

Air Masses

Four

Fronts and Depressions

Five

Winds

Six

Weather in the Mountains

Seven

Precipitation

Eight

Thunderstorms

Nine

Weather Forecasts

Units of Measurement

The Beaufort Scale

Glossary of Terms

Further Reading

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the friends and colleagues who have made helpful suggestions during the writing of this book, in particular Rodney Blackall of the Met Office. I would also like to thank Mark Thomas for the incidental photographs, and Anne Reynolds for drawing the cloud sketches, and the following people who allowed me to use their cloud photographs: W.G. Pendleton/G.A. Watt (Cirrus, p. 21); Mark Thomas (Cirrostratus, p. 22, Altocumulus, p. 25 and Stratus, p. 32); R.F. Saunders (Cirrocumulus, p. 23); R.W. Mason (Altostratus, p. 26 and Stratocumulus, p. 31); D.A. Warrilow (Nimbostratus, p. 27); Mark Thomas/J.H. Williams (Cumulus, p. 29); and N. Elkins (Cumulonimbus, p. 30).

Malcolm Thomas

FOREWORD TO THE FIRST EDITION

For years hillwalkers and climbers have wrestled with the fascinating but complex subject of mountain weather. Partly this has been due to a great void in the available literature between the embarrassingly simplistic and the confusingly complex. Malcolm Thomas has done his bit to fill this void with this excellent compromise.

It is perfectly aimed at the Mountain Leader Award syllabus and should put an end to hours of frustration and anguish for many a mountaineer. It will also act as an excellent springboard for those brave enough to launch into a search for a more in-depth understanding of the wondrous world of swirling mist, driving rain, waist-deep snow and crisp cloudless mornings – all the elements that make up our amazing mountain climate.

Nick BanksChief InstructorNational Mountain Centre, Plas y Brenin

FOREWORD

It’s not an uncommon occurrence to look at a weather forecasting app to be told that it’s 25 degrees and sunny, when in actual fact it’s raining outside. The human world has fast moved into a technological age that has meant we tend not to trust our uninhibited observations of our natural environment. This is just one way in which we seem to have lost touch with nature as we have moved into a digital era, making the republication of Weather for Hillwalkers so very poignant at this time.

Slowly, the relationship between man and nature is healing as we begin to take responsibility for the damages we have done and attempt to reconnect. Republishing this book is a commentary on our endeavours to re-attune with the elements by reading the messages they send us and learning to interpret them. It is also a step to acknowledging our inherent bond with nature; a bond that cannot be replaced or feigned by technology.

No matter how advanced and accurate this technology might become, and no matter how dependent we may be on it, the weather will continue, as always, to prevail over the hills, mountains and beyond. Let this book be the starting point of understanding the natural world and learning to trust it again.

The Outdoor Guide and Julia Bradbury

PREFACE

There are a number of books available on the subject of weather, but these tend to be allied to interests and hobbies such as sailing and gardening. This book sets out to explain weather at a basic level and then to apply this knowledge to the mountain environment, with particular reference to the hills and mountains of the British Isles.

The term weather describes the combination of a number of separate elements: wind, visibility, cloud, precipitation, temperature and so on. In this book each of the elements is looked at individually, and then the effects caused by hills and mountains are discussed and explained. In some cases there is a comfort factor: walking in persistent and heavy rain can be thoroughly uncomfortable and is a case in point. In other cases there is also a definite safety factor: strong winds over an exposed ridge, cloud lowering on to the hills reducing visibility, snowstorms and lightning are all potential hazards.

There can be very few people who have not seen a shower approaching, taken waterproofs from a rucksack and avoided a soaking. This is a simple example of using observation to forecast the weather in the short term, perhaps only five or ten minutes ahead. With a greater understanding, there are other signs that can be used to forecast the weather, on some occasions several hours ahead.

As we all know, professional forecasts are not always completely accurate and it is unlikely that they ever will be. However, a knowledge of weather can help in the interpretation of weather forecasts. For example, observation and understanding may indicate that the conditions will deteriorate earlier than the forecast suggested, or perhaps that precipitation is more likely to fall as snow than rain.

This book is suitable for anyone with an interest in hillwalking and climbing, and especially for students preparing for the Mountain Leader Award.

Malcolm Thomas

INTRODUCTION

There is something about the human instinct that will naturally take people up rather than down. When setting out for a walk in fine weather, either alone or with a group, there is a natural tendency to head towards the hills. Perhaps climbing upwards has something to do with lifting the spirit. Certainly the views are far more rewarding at the top of a mountain than at the bottom of a valley.

With increased leisure time, more people have had the satisfaction of hillwalking and climbing, and in turn have passed the interest on to a younger generation. Part of the pleasure of a day spent in the open air is observing the surroundings, whether it is watching a soaring bird of prey, noting the geology of a particular rock formation or perhaps taking note of the flora and fauna. There is always something to catch the eye.