Show Notes
Helen Roberts has a breadth of experience in weather forecasting and is the Met Office’s first socio-meteorologist. Helen’s fascination with ‘Big Science’ started as a little girl in the southwest of England, looking at sunsets and thunderstorms from her bedroom window. Listening to Helen on this podcast you can hear how that curiosity has evolved and lasted right the way through her career. She talks about changes in communicating the weather forecast and how the role of a forecaster is about helping people and businesses to make better decisions, to strive and to stay safe. She discusses the challenges of making a relatable forecast, particularly in severe and impactful weather like the unprecedented spell of hot weather in July 2022, when a number of places in the UK reached a staggering 40C. Something most of the population would have never experienced.
Helen then speaks about weather and natural disasters which can have a profound psychological impact. Sadly after this episode was recorded there was a natural disaster in Turkey and Syria where the fallout from an earthquake continues to cause devastation; this part of the episode offers some perspective of the aftermath of an event like this. We hope you enjoyed this episode as much as we did. You can follow Helen on Twitter @Weather_Helen or LinkedIn at Helen Roberts. If you would like to follow our podcast on Twitter we are @4loveofweather or Instagram @Fortheloveofweather. Thanks so much for listening and supporting the podcast and we hope you leave this episode loving the weather that little bit more.
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You can find this video on YouTube here https://youtu.be/XaYWg74D6l4 Is climate change making flying more turbulent? And what exactly is the jet stream? In this episode of For the Love of Weather, Gemma and Aisling are joined by Professor Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading and one of the world's leading experts on the jet stream, aviation turbulence and climate change. Paul explains the latest science behind one of the biggest questions in weather and aviation: Is climate change making turbulence worse? He also unpacks how the jet stream shapes our weather, why storms and heavy rainfall are becoming more intense, and how weather forecasts continue to improve. In this episode, you'll discover: 🌍 What the jet stream is and why it matters ✈️ How climate change is affecting the atmosphere where aircraft fly ☁️ What clear-air turbulence is—and why pilots can't always see it 🛫 Whether flying is likely to become bumpier in the future 🌪️ Why storms and extreme rainfall are becoming more intense 💨 How weather balloons, satellites and aircraft improve weather forecasting ❤️ Why turbulence is a normal part of flying—and why it shouldn't stop you from travelling Whether you're fascinated by weather, curious about climate science, or simply want to understand what causes turbulence on your next flight, this episode is packed with expert insights and surprising facts. If you want to hear a little more weather and climate chat - please hit subscribe, like and share with a friend. You can follow us on social media - @fortheloveofweather You can subscribe on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ForTheLoveOfWeather Find out more about Professor Paul Williams and his research: https://www.met.reading.ac.uk/~williams/
You can find this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/DdzWtBlNijc
You can find this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/13oYbutPmyQ