858-868 Index, pp. 869-918 Page 510 Monitor the Climate and Forecast the Weather Monitoring the current climate and disseminating information about it can aid adaptation. It is useful for people to know if climate is already changing and how. For adaptation, monitoring of the air, streams, and seasonal events in individual localities is what matters. In Chapter 35 we have identified indicators of particular use.
Weather forecasts aid adaptation.
Improved forecasts on all time scales, from hours to weeks and seasons, help. If warned a few days ahead where and when a hurricane or frost will strike, people can retreat from the shore or buy fuel to warm an orchard. If people know a few weeks ahead whether the season will be dry, they can choose the appropriate crop or store water. Accurate forecasts make all climates safer and more productive. Since the modern science of meteorology began a century ago, forecasting has gradually improved, and there are reasons to be confident that further improvements can be achieved.