Storm Troupers: The Fight to Forecast the Weather

In the first episode Alok discovers how the science of weather forecasting began as a way of saving lives at sea and how, with the help of eccentric scientists flying balloons into clouds, it was to become an indispensable part of our culture.

In the second episode Alok discovers how accurate weather forecasting came to be a vital part of military strategy. From the trenches of WWI, the bombing of Berlin in WWII and D-Day, meteorology became a matter of life and death.

The final episode brings the science of weather forecasting up to date, telling the story of how since World War II it has been transformed as a science into a multi-billion dollar industry.

In this series for BBC Four presenter Alok Jha charts the history of weather forecasting from its origins in the early 19th century. From the first use of forecasting to help save lives at sea, the vital role it played in military strategies in WW1 and D-Day and the transformation it underwent to become a crucial part of our modern day culture and world economy.