WEATHER AND WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23614, 26 March 1940, Page 4

WEATHER AND WAR

CONDITIONS IN BRITAIN „ SUPPRESSING REPORTS HANDICAPPING THE ENEMY ("from oub own correspondent] LONDON, Feb. 23 The fact that/the censor allowed publication of the news of Britain's severo . frost in early January only after the lapse of a fortnight emphasises the great importance that is attached to meteorological conditions during modern war. It is one of the strictest rules that no meteorological information may be published until a time when it would be of rio use to the Nazis, for the military authorities are convinced that both immediate reports and weather forecasts would be of the greatest advantage to the enemy in contemplating attacks either by land or air. Air Raids and Mine Laying The majority of weather streams on Europe move from the west to the east, and it is an established fact that the withholding of meteorological information b.v Britain and France, and also by Holland and Belgium, both of which countries ceased giving weather reports on the outbreak of war, is a great handicap to the Germans in forecasting accurately. It means that they cannot estimate with confidence whether conditions will be favourable for sending aircraft either to bomb Britain or to lay magnetic mines off her shores, or to carry out ' reconnaissance flights. With restricted information, German meteorological experts could not say whether German airmen might expect fog, wind or rain, nor on the other hand, whether there would be good Hying conditions. The 6ame applies to providing information to the German army. Result of Reports The immediate release of the news, for instance, that snow was falling on the Yorkshire moors would allow a German meteorologist to deduce fairly . accurately the entire weather conditions for an area of about 1000 miles round the British Isles. If it were stated that a gale was blowing on the north-west of Scotland, "the Nazis might just as well be tokl that there was a cyclone extending half-way across the Atlantic. A report of fog would indicate that there was an anti-cyclone over most of the country.