A typhoon is a massive accumulation of destructive winds and torrential rains over a huge body of water, particularly ocean. The accumulation is facilitated by an area characterized by the presence of a low-pressure, which makes evaporation and wind development faster.

Typhoons do not develop overnight. Often, it takes about a few days before one is developed. Usually, typhoons start as thunderstorms that accumulate strength and intensify into a massive weather disturbance.

Typhoons are easily tracked and monitored by weather satellites because of their huge radius and accumulated cloud system.

Thus, weather bureaus are always able to track a development of one, making it possible for concerned government and safety bodies to release typhoon warnings for the safety of people who might be affected by the weather onset.

A typhoon is an almost predictable calamity. Almost, because its tracks can easily change, but certain, because its presence is easily monitored.

Preparing for a typhoon

Countries that are always visited by typhoons have instituted safety measures to prepare people for the destructive weather occurrence and to help curb, if not totally prevent, injuries and casualties.

When a typhoon is about to hit an area, typhoon warnings should already be released, at least 24 to 48 hours before the expected landfall of the weather disturbance.

Thus, people, whose residences are within the warning areas, should first and foremost make the necessary safety precautions. Here are some of them.

· Store enough food and drinking water that would last for a few days. The typhoons may bring in torrential rains and destructive winds that may ruin infrastructure. Groceries and markets might not be able to resume operations after a typhoon, so make sure your supplies would last until the situation goes back to normal.
· Make sure your home is sturdy enough to endure potential gusty winds and flash floods. If not, just evacuate and go to designated safe evacuation or safety center.
· During the typhoon, you may opt to put off electric currents within the house to prevent any electrical accidents. The local utility firm will voluntarily cut off the electric supply.
· Typhoons bring in rains and winds so make sure you have jackets and umbrellas, in case you may need to flee.
· If your home is safe enough, just stay indoors before and during the typhoon to ensure safety. During typhoons, electric wires might fall down to the streets and compromise safety. Same goes for falling, or even flying debris, which are the usual cause of injuries and casualties.
· Always monitor news updates regarding the typhoon. Get transistor radios to make sure there would be no news blackout in case the electric and communication facilities shut down.

Remember that typhoons are weather phenomenon. One can never prevent it from forming and coming over. However, what people can do is to help prevent the destruction of the weather disturbance.

They can help by not becoming one of the casualties. Life is too precious and it is not worth losing it due to some occasional weather occurrence like the typhoon.

The earliest known weather vane dates back to the year 48 B.C., where it adorned the Tower of Winds in Athens. Believed to be more than 4’ long, this first weather vane was fashioned in the likeness of the Greek God, Triton, with the head and torso of a man and the body of a fish. Due to the fact that the ancient Greeks and pre-Christian Romans believed that the wind carried divine powers, it was not uncommon to see weather vanes created in the likenesses of Greek gods, such as Hermes, Mercury and Boreas.

Norsemen picked up the idea of the weather vane and began making their own around the 9th century. Unique, to this day, the Vikings created banner-styled weather vanes and commonly placed them on their ships, for navigational purposes, as well as their homes. Usually topped by a favored animal figurine, this weather vane style can still commonly be found in Norway and Sweden. It is also believed that, around this time, the Pope decreed that all churches in Europe display a cock atop their church, as a reminder of Jesus’ prophesy that the cock would not crow, the morning after The Last Supper. Ever since, it has been traditional for many churches, both in Europe and America, to display a cock weather vane.

First President, George Washington, commemorated the end of the Revolutionary War by having a special weather vane commissioned for the top of his Mount Vernon estate. Created in the likeness of a dove, carrying an olive branch, or a Dove of Peace, this weather vane was finished in 1787, by Joseph Rakestraw. Even Thomas Jefferson found an interest in weather vanes, supposedly attaching the weather vane, on Monticello, to a pointer inside his house. This way, he was able to determine the direction of the wind, without having to leave the comfort of his home.

During the 1800’s, common weather vanes depicted popular racing horses, such as George M. Patchen and Smuggler, their likenesses recreated from the stylish Currier and Ives prints. The artwork of weather vanes has only advanced from there, allowing one’s imagination to go wild; elegant silhouettes, fanciful scrolls and arrows, even three-dimensional animal creations. Now expanding with a plethora of different materials, it’s a sure bet that whatever one desires in a weather vane; if it hasn’t been made yet, there is someone out there ready to give it a whirl.

It seems everyday we’re bombarded with even more information regarding global warming. Scientists give us finding after finding; this ice shelf is melting, that drought is longer and more severe than even before, plus it seems wherever you are in the world politicians add their personal opinions, whether genuine or not.

Early summer, late winter.
Here in London we’ve been basking in beautiful near summer weather for the past few weeks, a full 3 months early. Yet now tonight we have snow forecast over the next couple of days. No matter what we think is happening, nature is confused. Trees and flowers in full blossom thinking it to be mid to late April will now lose their colour to late frosts and snow.

Is it true; are we to blame for Earth’s atmosphere warming to artificially high levels?

I was recently inspired by the new movie, An Inconvenient Truth. Based on US Senator Al Gore’s illuminating and extraordinary slide show dealing with the onset of global warming dating back to the industrial revolution, the movie contains all the latest factual information, plus strategies of what we as individuals can do to alleviate the situation. It most worryingly shows how the human production of CO2 and other harmful greenhouse gasses have dramatically increased in the latter half of the 20th century.

Tackling such a serious subject head on, I also found famously heavy and some-might-say-boring Al Gore to be light, informative, funny and a very human person indeed.

I don’t usually make movie recommendations during my newsletters and articles, however on this occasion I would recommend and encourage you to seek out ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. Have a look at the official website (link below) and take an extra step forward today.

What would it take for you to become inspired?
Being inspired to make positive changes for our planet and future generations surely is the biggest legacy any of us can leave, isn’t it? I’m currently coaching with Tom, a young man in The Netherlands who’s re-training in order to move into environmental research to reduce and reverse global warming, and even though much of the technical side of what he does is completely over my head, his focus and dedication is totally inspirational to me.

The spectrum of what we can all do is huge. And just to bring this back into the area of life coaching & personal development, it’s the area known as ‘contribution’.

Of course, there is also a debate doubting the present scientific data. Some suggest the Earth warms and cools as part of its greater long-term cycle, and that what is happening now is simply a part of that. It’s mentioned the oceans produce far more CO2 than any human factory ever could, that cows produce more methane than a human ever could, and that most of the predictions published by scientists throughout the past 20-30 years have proved either inaccurate or just plain wrong.

Personally I lean on the side of global warming being a reality, and one I can effect. I believe we have an obligation to future generations to safeguard their world whether we have irrefutable evidence or not. If we took no action, believing scientists to be wrong, and they turned out to right, by that time we might have inflicted irreversible harm on the world they inherit.

So, what some actions we can take that will tell future generations that even if the scientists are right or wrong we took care of their planet anyway? Here are a few handy hints I’ve picked up along the way, which as well as helping reduce global warming will also cut down your fuel bills and make you more healthy!

1. Leave the car at home more often, especially for short trips. Use public transport, walk to the shops instead of driving. As well as saving money on gas (petrol), carrying the bags and walking will be great for your body.

2. As light bulbs blow in the house, replace with low emission bulbs and also switch lighting and other appliances off in rooms or areas not in use. Think TV, DVD, music system, think big savings on your fuel bill each year!

3. Take a shower instead of a bath. Showers use only around a 5th water compared to taking a bath.

4. Recycle household waste. I know some countries and cities view this with different levels of urgency. Even here in London some councils are more proactive than others. I just moved from a lackluster one to a really good one, and now have separate bins for garden and vegetable waste, one for cardboard, plastic and glass bottle, papers and books, etc, and everything else goes in the regular black bag destined for a landfill. What I’ve noticed however, is since I’ve been doing this the size of the black bag is smaller and smaller as I feel better and better.

5. Become more eco savvy. Check items that have less, or more easily recyclable packaging. This gives supermarket shopping a whole new twist, which for those of us who seem to spend hours in the places each week, helps pass the time and make the experience a whole lot more interesting.

And finally
It has been suggested that intention is everything. In the case of global warming, whichever side of the debate you’re on, your intention is still so important, and asking the question, what condition do you want to leave the planet in for the future, does make a difference, not least to you.

Wireless weather stations keeps you equipped with the weather report whenever and wherever you want. They are meant to give you timely information on the changing weather conditions. Wireless weather stations being handy and portable with no mess of wires can be placed wherever you can reach them comfortably. But selecting a wireless weather station might be the biggest dilemma you might have ever faced.

With an endless number of brands and specifications, it becomes difficult to make a selection. But before buying one, it’s beneficial to compare the wireless weather stations for brand, features and price. While buying a wireless weather station, you should always keep in mind that you may not need an advanced meteorological weather station capable of landing planes, as it is just for your personal use. Rather, it is important to compare a wireless weather station for:

Service - will exchanges and returns be easy?

Support - will you have to chuck your weather station after three months because you can’t locate parts or find a repair technician?

Confidence - do you feel more comfortable buying LaCrosse or a GE weather station than an unknown name?

Compatibility - if you opt for a new rain gauge, will it work with your system?

Choices - are you limited in the types of accessories you can buy, or are you obligated to buy the whole professional weather station if you just want a handheld model?

There are varieties of features available with different models of wireless weather station. For example, there are some wireless weather stations available with one 1 sensor, others with 2 sensors. Similarly some models come with sensor graphs and information displays, including historic weather data, at a glance, transmitted from the sensor suite, and other carry’s the advantage of having touch screen monitors, and yet another comes with an engine roar alarm.

As you will go out and explore, you will get a variety of choices in wireless weather stations, making you more puzzled. So don’t get fanatical, make your self clear with your requirements, than compare different brands suiting your need before making the best choice.

A wireless weather station with a thermometer is used to monitor time, as well as indoor and outdoor temperatures, within a 100-foot range. A wireless weather station thermometer has an inbuilt transmitter with dual or multi-channel capabilities that display temperatures in both Celsius and Fahrenheit can be placed inside or outside the home. All what is required is to mount the sensor outside, and the display unit will show the current temperature every ten seconds. It is an extremely convenient and up-to-the-second method of figuring out what the weather patterns are in your area or wherever you may roam. That way, you will not have to be at the mercy of weathpersons on the radio and television; instead, you can be your own meteorologist.

Various brands of wireless weather station thermometers like GE and Lacrosse Technology are available commonly in the market. Even from the same company various wireless weather station thermometers with variety of different features are available to suit your needs. This compact and handy device, with no hassles of managing wires is best suitable for use in homes, offices etc. It saves you from monotonous practice of switching on the TV or radio sets to get the weather news. Wireless weather station thermometer gives you the advantage of knowing the every minute weather update at the comfort of your house or office.

A small device carries wit itself a bundle of advantages, and in today’s unpredictable weather scenario, a wireless weather station thermometer is a requirement of every house.

Wireless home weather stations offer the convenience of being able to monitor outdoor weather from the comfort of your home or office. Wireless home weather stations allow you to keep a gauge of the weather outside without the need of looking through TV and newspapers.

Wireless home weather stations feature an outdoor sensor that transmits to a base located within your home. It comes with a variety of features that make it a precision weather instrument. The biggest advantage of this type of weather station is that it is completely digital, very easy to setup with no hassle of handling the wiring and connections. This weather station also includes an atomic weather clock that automatically updates to the national atomic clock in Boulder, CO. These home weather stations display the indoor temperature, indoor humidity, outdoor temperature, barometric pressure, moon phase, time and date all at one glance. It also displays the weather forecast for the next 12-20 hours and automatically sets its time and date to the US atomic clock. Last but not least, it features an advanced ice function to warn you of extremely cold weather.

With all of these advanced features and a stylish contemporary hinged console, it comes at an affordable price. Buying a wireless home weather station is easy, as it is conveniently available at your nearest electronic and weather equipment shop. Also to save yourself from the hassle of going and buying one, you can also order it online through various weather equipments sites available on the Internet.