The Science Of Superstorms

09 April, 2007 by The_Boss

BBC TWO Sunday 15th April 2007 22:00 - 22:30

The Science Of Superstorms, accompanying Superstorm on BBC One, explores the cutting-edge scientific research that informs the drama and features experts who monitor the behaviour of extreme weather around the world.

The series identifies the science behind the drama, as well as highlighting the past, present and future developments in weather modification. As a result of climate change, it's likely that severe weather will threaten the planet with greater frequency and severity. New York, Shanghai, Tokyo and, to a lesser extent, the UK, are at the mercy of Mother Nature. But what can be done to tame her? And is it morally and scientifically viable?

In the opening film, Taming The Storm, the story of weather modification is revealed, from how a girl playing in sub-Saharan Africa can cause a North Atlantic hurricane, to how setting off a nuclear bomb has been suggested as a way to stop a Superstorm.

The film looks at Project Stormfury, the first attempt to divert hurricanes half a century ago, the use of weather seeding during the Vietnam War and the experiments being conducted by governments around the world today.

Because of global warming and events such as Hurricane Katrina, the pressure has never been greater to come up with viable means of modifying the weather.

Hurricane expert Professor Greg Holland comments: "Over the last 30 years, the proportion of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has nearly doubled. This is consistent with climate change because, as the oceans warm up, there is going to be more energy available for those hurricanes to develop. Hurricanes are going to be meaner, more intense and cause more damage."

With contributions from the world's foremost hurricane expert, Prof Kerry Emanuel at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and Dr Roelof Bruintjes and Dr Greg Holland from the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, The Science Of Superstorms reveals the true extent of nature's awesome power. This isn't science fiction – it's science prediction.