Long Range Forecast

Long Range Forecast

The never-ending, ceaseless quest

For human improvement goes on and on -

Now the Meterological Office -

You’ll never guess what they’ve done!

Just bought a new super-computer, that’s what,

With vast amounts of memory and power.

Ninety-seven million it cost,

Just to help them promise a shower!

To improve accuracy and modelling,

It measures instructions in peta-flops,

But will it be any more accurate,

When it comes to forecasting raindrops?

I’m full of anticipation about precipitation,

And I often wonder about thunder.

Will there be a storm or a hurricane?

Will the Jetstream tear us asunder?

Do I really need to know a long way ahead?

Or what might happen next year in May?

Do I need great precision, over such a decision?

No! – just what’ll happen later today!

And there’s simpler methods at hand,

Like looking at seaweed, or at heather.

You don’t need a Cray X-C Forty,

If you’re wanting to prophesy weather!

If you can see Roundway Hill’s summit,

Rain’s coming, and sunshine’ll be soon waning,

And if you can’t quite make out the top,

Then I’m afraid it’s already raining!

Anyway, I’m sure they’ll enjoy their new toy,

Building scenarios that are long-range,

But the future’s a difficult thing,

And it won’t get Earth’s climate to change!

Copyright Andy Fawthrop 2014