Your grandmother and her arthritic knees always told you when rain was coming, but science is taking this knowledge to the next level. Biometeorologists hope that soon they will be able to predict when all kinds of disorders will flare up due to the weather, reports this ABC News story.
"We've known that weather affects organisms for 100 years or more," says Larry Kalkstein, chief of the Synoptic Climatology Lab at the University of Delaware. "The real breakthroughs today are due to the fact that we have computers that allow us to evaluate much more data."
Europeans forecasters already use biometeorology. In Germany, for example, weather reporters will warn of pending concentration problems, poor blood circulation and aggravated rheumatism.
Proponents say biometeorology can be used for more than just comfort; it can save lives. "If we can forecast the arrival of one of these [dangerous] air masses a day or two ahead of time, we can warn people that it is imminent," says Kalkstein.
It appears that studies are backing up their claims. Thunderstorms were recently found to be related to increased asthma problems, reports this article from InteliHealth.
During winter, if bitter cold sets your body on edge, take heart. The National Weather Service says it has warmed to a newer, kinder way of calculating wind chills, reports this article from The Weather Channel.
