Reading The Clouds

Wouldn't it be useful to be able to accurately predict the weather simply by reading the clouds? Well, with this book, you can! TV forecasts, online predictions and smartphone apps are all based on the same data – a number-crunched overview of how air pressure and temperature affect the weather across a large geographical area. But to get an idea of how the weather will develop for the precise spot where you're standing (or walking, sailing, golfing, fishing, etc) you don't need any equipment or a wifi connection – you just need to look up. This book will give you a broad understanding of why the clouds are symptoms of weather patterns, not causes. By reading these signs in the sky and referring to the explanatory colour photographs, you will discover exactly what those signs mean. An at-a-glance guide to the clouds for anyone anywhere in the world, on land or at sea, this book will enable you to predict the weather by recognising cloud types, shapes, colour and behaviour. It will be an invaluable companion for anyone who enjoys outdoor activities. 'Well researched - practical information in an easy to assimilate form' - Professor Richard Collier, former President of the Royal Meteorological Society 'So good that my Yachtmaster candidates would do well to read it. I learned something from this book. I bet you do too' - Tom Cunliffe, author of The Complete Day Skipper and The Complete Yachtmaster 'Absolutely brilliant; a must for anyone who does anything outside and for whom the weather might be important. Everyone, wherever they are in the world, will get something from this book' - Duncan Wells, author ofStress-Free Sailing and Stress-Free Motorboating

Discusses the history, types, and cultural fascination with clouds and explains what they mean in terms of climate and weather.

Next time you want to see a show, go outside and look at the sky. The clouds will put on a show for you with their ever-changing shapes and sizes. This book reveals some fascinating science behind these beautiful displays. Author Emily Morgan answers all kinds of questions: What are clouds made of? Why are some clouds white? Which clouds mean fair weather is coming, and which ones mean rain is on the way? If you could reach those fluffy, floaty puffs, could you jump on them like a trampoline? Next Time You See a Cloud is an engaging look at the science behind a sky-high spectacle. Make it a habit to keep looking up—there’s a new show every day! Awaken a sense of wonder in a child with the Next Time You See series from NSTA Kids. The books will inspire elementary-age children to experience the enchantment of everyday phenomena such as spiderwebs, sunsets, fireflies, the Moon, and more. Free supplementary activities are available on the NSTA website. Especially designed to be experienced with an adult—be it a parent, teacher, or friend—Next Time You See books serve as a reminder that you don’t have to look far to find something remarkable in nature.

Clouds are simple enough, just a collection of ice crystals or water droplets visible to everyone. Yet they are a source of endless wonder. They appear in an infinite number of shapes and forms. Some are beautiful, some awe inspiring, and some, like the whirling funnel cloud, are terrifying. Clouds inspire artists, poets, songwriters. They have reminded astronauts, looking down from space, that Earth, a seemingly abstract orb, is a place of life and movement. those great swirls of white-as they change shape, swell, evaporate into wisps, disappear and come back, glow with sunlight or darken with rain-are a constant reminder of how dynamic our planet is.

Completely revised and updated to address changes in technology, this new edition is the definitive guide to the art and science of sailing. Since the publication of the widely hailed first edition in 1983, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship has set the standard by which other books on sailing are measured. Used throughout America as a textbook in sailing schools and Power Squadrons, The Annapolis Book of Seamanship thoroughly and clearly covers the fundamental and advanced skills of modern sailing. This edition of Annapolis is a major overhaul. Over half the book has been revised; old topics and features have been updated, and many new ones have been introduced. The design has been modernized, and many color illustrations have been added. As big and detailed as Annapolis is, the wealth of technical information (including dozens of step-by-step instructions) is presented here in a way that is uniquely readable; it's both useful and easy to use. This is because John Rousmaniere and artist Mark Smith bring to Annapolis decades of experience both as sailors and as professional communicators. Annapolis emphasizes the standard skills and proven methods that eliminate error and confusion, ensure security in emergencies, and allow every sailor more time for enjoyment on the water. Much has changed on the water since 1983 when this book was originally published. Black buoys are now green, the Global Positioning Satellite navigation system (GPS) is almost universally used, new types of anchors and sails have appeared, safety skills and gear are vastly improved, many more women are commanding boats, and catamarans and trimarans are common where only monohulls used to sail. But for all these modern developments, the basic skills and spirit of sailing have not changed at all. Sail trimming, keeping up steerageway, maintaining the dead reckoning plot, heaving-to -- these fundamentals are as important now as ever and receive much attention here. Among the innovations in this edition are: * Basic skills in early chapters: Fundamental sailing and boat-handling skills and gear, which are introduced in chapters 1, 2, and 3. * "Hands On" segments: Three dozen special sections, each devoted to a particular seamanship problem and an expert solution. * More how-to tips: Additional rules of thumb that guide a crew quickly and successfully through seamanship problems. * New coverage of multihulls: Advice on evaluating, anchoring, and handling catamarans and trimarans under sail (including in storms). * More on emergencies: New material on emergencies, safety, and heavy-weather sailing, including a section on preparing a docked boat for a hurricane. * Equipment updates: Expanded coverage of the use and care of modern gear and hardware, including radar, GPS, rescue devices, and asymmetrical spinnakers. * Terminology: Full definition and illustration of major terms when they're first introduced, with alternative language provided in parentheses. * Gender: The use of feminine personal pronouns, which reflect the fact that more women are captaining and sailing boats than ever before. From navigation and seamanship to boat and gear maintenance, from pleasure cruising to heavy-weather sailing, here is the definitive, state-of-the-art guide that provides systematic step-by-step techniques to see you through every situation on deck and in the cockpit.

Can you still have a home if you don't have a house? In the spirit of The Truth About Jellyfish and Fish in a Tree comes a stunning debut about a family struggling to find a place to belong. To climb a tree, always think in threes and you'll never fall. "Two feet, one hand. Two hands, one foot," Cora's father told her when she was a little girl. Now Cora is in middle school, her father is gone, her family is homeless, and Cora has to look after her younger sister, Adare, who needs a lot of looking after. When their room at the shelter is ransacked, Cora's mother brings them to an old friend's apartment, and Cora hopes this will be a place she can finally call home. When doubt seeps in, Cora makes an escape of her own and discovers something that will change how she sees her family and her place within it. The beautiful debut by Melissa Sarno, the author of A Swirl of Ocean, will take root in your heart and blossom long after you've turned the last page. "[A] heartbreaking yet hopeful story of a family searching for a place to belong." --Publishers Weekly "[A] thought-provoking debut about the meaning of home and the importance of family." --The Horn Book Magazine

Clouds come in all sorts of types, including cumulus, cumulonimbus, stratus, and cirrus. Learn how to tell each cloud type apart.