Weatherman forecasts

By Jeff Elton

Ken Ring is used to share of doubters but the long-term weather forecaster usually gets the last laugh with his previous six weather almanacs proving very popular and his seventh weather almanac now available in bookshops.
The impressive book is targeted at anyone who needs to know the likely weather on a particular day with Ken claiming to get it right 85 to 90% of the time. There is a good deal of science behind the weather predictions with some of it getting rather technical.
Ken explains, "Just as we can predict the sea's tides and produce tide charts, by measuring the moon's transit we can also predict the movement of the atmospheric tide. By the ancient methods of observing the main factors of lunar motion, the weather can be predicted to recur each time certain cycle-factors crop up".
Ken said the agricultural sector represent the bulk of his book buyers with some farmers buying the almanac every year. The almanac lists the weather for the whole of New Zealand for every day of the year. Therefore anyone who wants to go fishing, to cut hay, or plan a camping trip is given a real insight into the type of weather they can expect.
The cold snap in Southland and Canterbury on Sep 17 and 18 of this year was an event that Ken predicted twelve months ahead of time. He said farmers who bought his almanac therefore had loads of time to move stock, unlike those who used conventional weather reports who only got 36 hours' notice.
The most significant weather event that Ken predicts for 2006 is a cyclone Bola strength storm that will hit the east coast of the North Island from March 17 to 19. He said the storm will create havoc in low-lying areas.