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"Pressure:" Must-See Movie!

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Andrew Scott as meteorologist James Stagg As a meteorologist, I never thought a movie about a weather forecast could be so good. I rate it A+.  A quick scan of my movie reviews back to the start of the blog (2009) do not reveal any other movie rated that highly. Others evidently agree 86% of critics and 95% of the audience recommend it.  Pressure   is the story about the weather forecasts (yes, plural) leading up to D-Day -- perhaps the most important forecast in the history of the world. The title is a play on the word referring to both high and low pressure systems on a weather map and the pressure on the meteorologists.  Meteorologist Dr. James Stagg (well portrayed by Andrew Scott) used synoptic meteorology forecast techniques much like we use today; versus Dr. Irving Krick who used a technique called analogs. I wrote about  this controversy early  in the history of the blog (caution spoilers!). This controversy continues today. I explain in the "spoile...
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Today's Tornado Risk (Updated)

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The brown area has a significant risk of tornadoes. The hatching means that if  a tornado occurs, it could be strong. The atmosphere is extremely unstable which is a recipe for strong tornadoes and, even more so, damaging winds. Note: As of 3:10pm, this forecast still looks good except the tornado risk may be slightly higher farther south in Kansas.  The yellow area has a significant risk of thunderstorm-driven winds of 60 mph or stronger. The red area has a an enhanced  risk. The hatching indicates where wind gusts could exceed 75 mph. 
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Dave Barry's Soccer-Themed Column is Out

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Dave Barry Dave Barry writes about being in France for the World Cup in 1998 and what a wonderful experience it was.  We in Kansas are glad that Kansas City is one of the 2026 World Cup cities. From what the media is reporting, there are still plenty of hotel rooms if you would like to visit during the tournament. I did a random check of the airlines and while the prices from a few cities (like Newark) may be a bit inflated, there appear to be plenty of seats. I don't know if it is because of the World Cup but I thought an item from the United web site was a bit odd: "Show price in money. " Can you purchase a ticket using graham crackers or deflated soccer balls? Back to the main subject: If you decide to visit Kansas City you can look forward to a warm welcome. 
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This Headline is Pure Hype! But Damaging Winds Possible

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This headline is pure hype! It refers to this forecast from the NWS Storm Prediction Center: A green forecast = a trivial risk. It isn't zero but it is a very long shot that tornadoes will occur. That said, there is a significant risk of thunderstorms with damaging winds in the yellow area. Given a thunderstorm, where you see yellow, gusts of 60 mph or stronger are forecast. In the hatching, wind gusts of 75 mph are forecast to occur. 
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The Next Time the Government Tells You "We Just Need More Money"

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This is a stunning, but not surprising admission, the United Kingdom doubled the amount of money for their National Health Service ... and nothing good happened. The money went down the drain of the bureaucracy.  Keep this in mind when, for example, we are told raising taxes will fix the climate. 
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Why We Need a National Disaster Review Board

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We have had major chemical-related incidents in both California and Washington in the past week. These will be investigated by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board . Like the National Transportation Safety Board, the USCSHIB has an admirable record of making our nation safer.  The USCHIB has already announced it has opened an investigation into the Washington paper mill explosion which killed one person. The explosion occurred yesterday and the investigative team is arriving this morning.  Yet, when a flood or tornado or hurricane causes triple digit fatalities in the United States there is no organized system of expert review to learn what went wrong (if anything) and how we (meteorologists, emergency managers, medical teams, etc.) can improve our responses going forward.  A succinct outline for a National Disaster Review Board is here . Congress?
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Attention Media: Story About Weather Balloons?

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(intentionally degraded image quality) With all of the controversy regarding the lack of National Weather Service launches, I wanted to let readers know that I have a photo of the building used as part of their weather balloon launches in my collection at Adobe Stock Photography .  Example photos from my collection of hundreds... And, with the wheat harvest coming up...
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