Skydiving is an outside sport. You must have noticed this. Therefore the weather plays a big part. This undeniable link led to us checking out this useful-sounding book…
Book: Philip’s Guide to Weather Forecasting
By: Storm Dunlop
Cost: £9.99
From: Philips Maps website, Amazon
In a Nutshell: A side-splitting page turner that will fly off the shelves. No, sorry. It’s a book about weather.
Having an A in Geography and having been in close proximity to a few clouds once or twice obviously made me more than qualified to review this book, so I waded in with gusto. I have to say I was charmed with the notion of saving many pointless hours driving to the DZ only to sit on the ground.
Weather
The illustrious author, Mr Storm Dunlop, is an expert on weather. Whether the weather be hot, or whether the weather be cold, or whether the name Storm actually dictated his adult obsession is unclear. What is clear is this guy knows his stuff. Good pictures of the sky throughout this book and even one or two of the ground illustrate Mr Dunlop’s evident passion for a bit of cumulonimbus.
Fluffy Clouds
‘There are only ten types of cloud,’ informs Storm. ‘So identifying clouds should be no more difficult than identifying, say, ten different types of car.’ Sounds true. But not many of us can, can we? Glances above, ‘Ooh, looks like rain. Or is it a Ford Escort?’ And when is he going to tell us if we can jump on (for example) next Saturday?
Forecasting
Well, after a lengthy description of pressure, clouds, humidity, cyclones, precipitation and the like, the actual nub of weather forecasting boils down to a basic chart in the last few pages consisting of what the clouds look like and what you can expect after that has gone. Which I guess is what us simpletons who enjoy the odd plummet into freefall are really after.
Summary
Storm. Nice work my gladiatorial-sounding chum. Good as a school text book if your section on meteorology is missing, but not even as entertaining as dentist waiting room fodder.
Suggestion
My guide to weather forecasting? Open the window and have a bloody good look!
