Concludes that next-day weather forecasts given by television stations are usually accurate and that stations seldom change their forecasts between the early evening and late evening newscasts. (FL)

A discussion of TV weather forecasting introduces this article which features several hands-on science activities involving observing, researching, and experimenting with the weather. A reproducible worksheet on the reliability of weather forecasts is included. (IAH)

Information and anecdotes are provided for the following topics: the typical length of the hurricane season for the North Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico; specifics related to the practice of naming hurricanes; and categorical details related to the Saffir/Simpson scale for rating hurricane magnitude. (JJK)

Introduces Wilson A. Bentley, who studied precipitation. Discusses Bentley's method for measuring the number, size, and shape of raindrops and determining the rate of rainfall. Lists required materials and explains the procedure for students and teachers. Provides scientific background on condensation and precipitation. (YDS)

This month's feature is Vicki Cobb's "I Face the Wind" (Illus. by Julia Gorton. HarperCollins, 2003) which introduces the wind's characteristics and actions through experiments and observations complemented with Gorton's creative illustrations. "I Face the Wind" was a 2004 Sibert Honor Book. The Sibert Award and Honor books are awarded annually to…

Look at a map and locate Seattle, Washington. Follow that latitude east to International Falls, Minnesota. These spots are at roughly the same latitude. Yet the average January temperature in Seattle is a relatively balmy 7? C (45? F) when compared to International Fall's -15? C (4? F). While traveling north, temperatures tend to go down. This is…

Rain, sun, snow, sleet, wind... the weather affects everyone in some way every day, and observing weather is a terrific activity to attune children to the natural world. It is also a great way for children to practice skills in gathering and recording information and to learn how to use simple tools in a standardized fashion. What better way to…

A tornado is a rotating, funnel-shaped column of air, which extends from a thunderstorm to the ground. The winds of a tornado can reach up to 480 km per hour. This is about five times faster than a car driving on a highway. Tornadoes can be almost invisible until they pick up dust and debris. This article describes an activity that stimulates…

The Earth is a powerful, active, and ever-changing planet. Earthquakes and volcanoes reshape the Earth's crust with sudden bursts of movement or with eruptions that last decades. Powerful storms develop in the swirling atmosphere, creating cumulonimbus thunderclouds, lightning storms, and even tornadoes or hurricanes. Geological features and moist…

This study advances a conceptual framework for understanding the transformation of places into recovery machines after major hurricanes. This framework contends that in the years following such disasters, pro-growth coalitions take advantage of new sources of material and symbolic capital to promote further demographic growth. It also contends…

According to the World Disaster Report (Walter, 2004), drought and famine have proven to be the deadliest disasters of the decade worldwide, accounting for at least 275,000 deaths since 1994. This was nearly half the total for all natural disasters. The agricultural sector has been found to experience the largest variety of economic impacts…

This issue of ERCMExpress alerts readers of the All-Hazard NOAA weather radio (NWR) network upgrade. In 2004, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) collaborated to enable DHS to disseminate homeland security-related information over the NWR network. DHS's goal was to produce an…

Classmates at Reservoir High School sometimes call Dalyn Jones and Anthea Fields the "Katrina chicks." Left homeless by the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, both teenagers migrated from the New Orleans area to Maryland in September of 2006. They met for the first time here when they showed up on the same day to register for 9th…

The benefits of weather forecasting contests within geography departments are reaffirmed. The greatly increased ease of conducting such contests in the new millennium is stressed. Some of the specifics of the forecasting contest at Salisbury University are discussed. In addition, the advantages of a departmental contest over a national contest are…

This publication is a source of marine weather broadcast information in all areas of the world where such service is provided. This publication was designed for the use of U.S. naval and merchant ships. Sections 1 through 4 contain details of radio telegraph, radio telephone, radio facsimile, and radio teleprinter transmissions, respectively. The…