Weatherwise

What causes thunderstorms and lightning? Where and why do hurricanes form? How are blizzards more dangerous than other snowstorms? To answer these questions, you'll need to know about nature's most powerful weather events. Storms of all types and sizes occur around the globe. Each storm needs just the right combination of weather conditions to form and become dangerous-or even destructive. In this fact-packed book, discover how storms form, where they strike, and what makes them so powerful.

How does a cloud form? When is the best time to see a rainbow in the sky? Why do ice cubes shrink in the freezer? The answers to these questions all involve water. So do the reasons why we have rain and snow. To understand weather, we have to know what happens to water at different temperatures, on the ground and in the air. In this fact-packed book, discover what happens when water changes from a liquid into a gas or a solid, and much more.

Why does the wind blow? What does air pressure have to do with a thunderstorm? Why is a mountaintop snowy while the valley below is warm? The answers to these questions all involve the layer of air surrounding Earth-the atmosphere. Earth's atmosphere is always in motion. It moves clouds, storms, and warm and cold air from one part of the planet to another. In this fact-packed book, discover how the ever-changing atmosphere determines weather around the globe.

How do scientists predict the weather? What tools and instruments help them make forecasts? How far in advance can they make good predictions? Weather forecasting is a tricky science. Forecasters gather current weather data and study trends and historical patterns. They use their expertise to predict what kind of weather is likely coming next-with help from computers, satellites, and other machines. In this fact-packed book, discover what it really takes to forecast Earth's weather.