Extreme Weather: A Guide and Record Book (Revised and Updated) (Paperback)

by Christopher Burt (Author) "Judging by the explosive population growth of Phoenix and Las Vegas, the two hottest big cities in the United States, one might well conclude that..." (more)
Key Phrases: snowiest places, thunderstorm days, heat bursts, United States, New York, New England (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...this book virtually blows a gale in your face when you open it." Christopher Hirst, The Independent "Reach for Extreme Weather by Christopher Burt and you become mesmerised by the scale of hurricanes. League tables of the greatest, largest, fastest, deadliest and costliest storms across the US and the world all point to one conclusion-Katrina was no one-off event." The Times"

Product Description

The ultimate weather book for the weather enthusiast or anyone interested in the oddities and extremes of nature. Is the climate really becoming more extreme as a result of climate change? We often hear on the news that the day was the hottest, coldest, wettest, or snowiest on record. Recent evidence suggests that aspects of the climate are indeed becoming more extreme. Will the extraordinary hurricane season of 2005 and the record heat waves of 2006 become more common? The facts are in this book, including a detailed analysis of extreme weather trends in the United States going back to the nineteenth century. Also included are historical examples of some of the more bizarre weather events observed: heat bursts, electrified dust storms, snow rollers, pink snowstorms, luminous tornadoes, falls of fish and toads, ball lighting, super bolts, and other strange meteorological events.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.; Revised and Updated edition (July 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039333015X
• ISBN-13: 978-0393330151
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #75,243 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #30 in	Books > Science > Earth Sciences > Climatology > Climate Changes
  #48 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Ecology > Rivers
  #54 in	Books > Outdoors & Nature > Environment > Weather

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even Better Than The 1st Edition!, July 9, 2007

By	Jesse F. Ferrell "Meteorologist" (State College, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book (like the last edition) is a sight for sore eyes and should be a staple item for weather enthusiasts and meteorologists; Chris' painstaking research presents us all with an up-to-date book of extremes (including maps) which challenge the out-of-date governmental and Internet resources that have attempted, in the past, to document record weather worldwide. Chris has published additional charts, tables and maps that you just can't find anywhere else in this latest edition. I really am not a big paper book fan becuase there is a lot of inaccurate stuff out there by amateur authors but this one is on my shelf at both work and home, and I frequently refer to it when meteorological extremes are challenged worldwide.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars if you think this sort of book sounds interesting, definitely get this, August 31, 2007

By	Eric Furst - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For some reason not everyone finds facts and narratives on outlandish weather interesting. If you do, however, this book is the pinnacle. Burt could have made it 8 times longer and I would have never gotten bored. Full of fantastical information about places you'll never go and weather you'll never see - I eat that stuff up. If you are at all interested in anything weather related, you'll be hooked on this book.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent choice not just for science libraries, August 8, 2007

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Is the climate really changing radically? To answer this a record of past weather extremes and norms needs to be reviewed, and there's no better place to do this than with Extreme Weather: A Guide and Record Book. Here are U.S. weather trends going back to the 19th century in a revised, updated guide which includes historical examples of strange weather. Divided into chapters by type of weather - strange snowstorms, thunderstorms and hail, etc. - each chapter pairs color photos and illustrations with maps, lively overviews, and more. An excellent choice not just for science libraries, but for any general interest lending library.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch