One hundred years ago - a milestone in modern meteorology

[knocker]

One hundred tears ago on the 5th of November , a young Jakob Bjerknes who had just returned to Norway, submitted a paper."On the Structure of Moving Cyclones", the importance of which cannot be overestimated when considering the foundations of modern meteorology

NGF_GP_Vol01_no2.pdf

[Tom Quintavalle]

Hi Knocker,

Hope you don't consider I'm "raining on your parade" but didn't want to start a separate thread for this.

Local weatherman Ian Currie made the long drive up from Storrington, West Sussex to Lee in S.E.London, to deliver a talk based on his book, Frosts, Freezes and Fairs, to our over 60's Church Group, last Friday morning. As he neared Lee, he drove past All Saints Church in Upper Norwood and glancing across at the churchyard, noticed the memorial to Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy . FitzRoy as well as being 2nd Governor of New Zealand, was a pioneering Meteorologist. In 1854 he established what would later become, the Meteorological Office. FitzRoy was a protégé of Francis Beaufort and the two of them were instrumental in formulating a warning system for shipping, via the Shipping Forecast. 

On 4th Feb.2002, the Shipping Forecast sea area Finisterre, was renamed Fitzroy by the UK Met Office, in honour of their founder.

During the 1860's, FitzRoy suffered from depression and failing health. One of the reasons cited was internal problems at the recently formed, Met Office. Tragically on 30th April 1865, Vice-Admiral Robert Fitzroy committed suicide. He was buried in All Saints Church, Upper Norwood, S.E.London.

Regards,

Tom. 

Edited November 12, 2018 by TomSE12

[snowray]

Thanks for that Tom, very interesting read.

Suicide back in those days was viewed with great shame by the family, it was considered a one way ticket to hell, such a sad ending for this man.