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Fig. 1. Graphs to show mean daily CET, mean daily EWR and mean frequency for differentcirculationtypes (as defined by H. H. Lamb) for the month ofMarch

the most rain; A and W circulations occur with approximately equal probability, Wgives fairly warm, wet weather while A gives cold, dry weather; south-westerlies givethe warmest temperatures; north-easterlies give the lowest temperatures.Bracknell A. M. STOREYBerks.

BOOK REVIEWREMOTE SENSING IN METEOROLOGY, OCEANOGRAPHY AND HYD­ROLOGY. Edited by A. P. Cracknell. Ellis Horwood Ltd; Sussex, 1980. pp. 542.£35'00

This expensive book is derived from material presented at a three-week summerschool held at the University of Dundee in 1980. It is, according to the publisher,aimed at postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students, researchers and en­gineers. However, whilst some of the contributions to the book form a useful prelimin­ary introduction to certain aspects of the physics and technology of remote sensing, agood deal of it is of marginal worth and very little of it is pitched above introductoryundergraduate level.

In a book within which, on the author's admission, for reasons of space 'editorialcuts (were made) rather savagely', it is surprising and disappointing to find 18 pages ofscientifically valueless padding about 'training and education in remote sensing' and'European co-operation in the field of higher education,' This space would have beenmore usefully devoted to an expansion of the lightweight, but interesting, contribu­tions on Fourier optics and synthetic aperture radar.

There are numerous inaccurate generalisations in the text. Thus we read(Chapter 9), 'Remote sensing data are digital or photographic images... " a sweep­ing generalisation which is manifestly untrue. Furthermore, in spite of the broadcompass of the title of the book there is no mention of many different remote sensingmethods which are currently in use for research or, in some cases, operational work.For example there is no discussion of Lidar, Sodar, Sferics or remote data acquisitionsystems such as Automatic Weather Stations, all of which come under the genericheading, 'Remote Sensing (for meteorology)'.

Perhaps, as the result of the otherwise commendable speed with which the bookhas been produced, there are some unfortunate cases of language which is poor to the

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point of obscurity. We read, for example, in Chapter 8 'The importance of spatialfrequency is that the distance of a point in the diffraction pattern from the origincorresponds to a particular frequency ... ' Given the problems that newcomers tothese fields may be expected to have, and that the purpose of the book is to make theirlife easier, a somewhat more considered and careful editorial stage in its productionwould, perhaps, have been beneficial.

Against these criticisms must be set the generally high quality of the printing andpresentation. Diagrams and plates are clear, although occasionally marred by in­adequate labelling (which picture is Fig g·3(b)?), and often without the benefit ofscales. The references cited are generally up-to-date and would perhaps prove one ofthe most useful facets of the publication to those involved in research. They seem,however, to be dearly bought at more than £1'()() per chapter.

R. E. W. PElTIFER

LETTERS TO THE EDITORCorrespondents are requested to observe the following rules when submitting letters

for publication: the material should be typed or clearly written on one side of the paperonly: it should carry ample margins at top and bottom as well as each side of the text:typed matter should be double line-spaced.

Ball LightningIn response to the interest shown by readers in ball lightning we have published in

this issue an up-to-date review of the subject. Also in this issue are a detailed accountof a Ball Lightning event in Scotland and three further letters published below. Parti­cularly intriguing is the letter from M. C. Jackson, describing an event apparentlyidentical to one included by Dr Charman in his review.

EDITOR

After the letters on ball lightning (Weather. 36 (5), pp. 155-156) readers may beinterested in a rather bizarre incident which my aunt still vividly remembers anddescribes.

It was a hot summer's day about 1916 or 1917. and there was a severe thunder­storm at lunch time. My aunt was travelling by electric tramcar from the town centre ofNewcastle under Lyme to May Bank in the thunderstorm when a red glowing ballappeared at the back door of the tramcar. This ball drifted down to the front of the carand then out of the front door. The ball travelled at walking pace down the car, wasthe size of a football, moved at head height between the seated passengers, made nonoise, caused no damage (except to the nerves ofthe passenger), and once outside thetram, it broke up and disappeared (like a red balloon bursting).Bracknell, M. C. JACKSONBerkshire

I read in a local newspaper. The Nation, the following account of an interestingcase of ball lightning in the Langata suburb of Nairobi:

A Nairobi woman was woken by a strange noise in the night. And when sheopened her eyes, the thing she saw made her dive under her blankets in fright! It was aburning disc, about the size of a plate, hovering around the door. When Mrs CharityMuthoni Benson plucked up the courage to take a second peep from under theblankets, the strange object was sparkling round the edge, and was beginning to shrinkto the size of a small ball. It was rotating, slowly. There was a blue fire in the middle ofit. There was heat coming from it. Eventually it disappeared completely, leaving a

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