Sea Breeze and Local Winds

Book excerpt: The sea breeze affects our lives in many ways. It controls our local weather, not only on the coast but also in many districts inland. Air pollution and smog, also the distribution of airborne insect pests and the spread of pollen are all controlled by the sea breeze. In the world of sport it is important to glider pilots, sailors and surfers, and balloonists. In the book we see how radar, lidar and satellite photography have helped to forecast and map sea breezes and the all-important 'sea-breeze front'. The book ends with a description of laboratory experiments mostly carried out by the author and his co-workers, and a simple summary of theoretical models. The book will be welcomed by those researching in the subject but will also be valuable to the general reader who is interested in local weather and the natural environment.