A compact introduction to observing, predicting, and understanding the weather This handy little guide provides the perfect introduction to what is happening in the sky, come rain or shine. Different weather conditions are all illustrated, so you can look through the pictures to identify what you have seen, or if you know the type of cloud or phenomenon that interests you, Gem Weather will tell you much more about it. A helpful glossary explains any technical or scientific terms you may not be familiar with. The book starts by teaching you how to recognise basic cloud types, and from there some of the variations you may encounter. Becoming familiar with these and understanding why they occur is a practical way to begin making your own weather predictions. Then winds, precipitation, other optical phenomena and weather fronts are all explained, providing all you need to know to understand satellite images and how the weather is forecast. Extreme and severe weather conditions, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, are finally included because they help to illustrate the range of weather events and explain some of the processes that occur in the atmosphere. All weather conditions, clouds and optical phenomena are fully illustrated with colour photographs, and there are practical explanations of how the weather is forecast and how to read weather maps. This bestselling natural history gem is an ideal pocket reference for budding meteorologists, and an accessible introduction to the subject for beginners of all ages.