Lightning, Hurricanes, and Blizzards

Lightning, Hurricanes and Blizzards: The Science of Storms, written by Paul Fleisher, is a 48-page book that explains air masses, weather fronts, thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other storms, such as blizzards and dust storms, by giving details and characteristics of each of these weather phenomena. The book is divided into five chapters, each focusing on a specific weather topic. It also contains a glossary, a selected bibliography, a list of further readings, website suggestions, and an index. Every page contains a photograph of a storm or a diagram illustrating a weather topic. The first chapter introduces the four 'C's': convection, condensation, convergence, and the Coriolis effect. The text includes demonstrations, diagrams, questions, and definitions of important terms to explain these abstract, hard-to-visualize concepts. The chapters on the different storms include fascinating facts such as the fact that there are more than 16 million thunderstorms a year. Each storm chapter also includes safety information relevant to the storm being discussed. Readers will be able to interpret the power of tornadoes with the Fujita scale by using wind speeds and examples of damage. Diagrams, maps, and charts are included throughout the text. This volume, which is part of a series that covers weather forecasting, the atmosphere, storms, and precipitation, is a good research tool for upper elementary and middle school students. It introduces a great deal of information in a straightforward, interesting manner. The facts are accurate and the information is current. The book would be a good addition to elementary schools and public libraries or for young adults interested in the causes of weather.