AbstractThe attempt to understand the weather is driven largely by the desire to be able to forecast the weather. However, the atmosphere is a complicated dynamical system, and an understanding of even the basic physical principles came only recently. Before that, scientists either attempted to understand the physical causes of weather events or recorded weather signs, rules for weather forecasting. Because the physical understanding was incorrect, and most weather signs had no physical basis, neither approach was very successful. True progress in the study of the atmosphere that would lead to success in weather forecasting required a complete understanding of physical principles and a comprehensive set of observations of the atmosphere.
