THE HISTORY OF METEOROLOGY

The ability to predict rains and floods based on annual cycles was evidently used by humans at least from the
time of agricultural settlement if not earlier. Early approaches to predicting weather were based on astrology and
were practiced by priests. Cuneiform inscriptions on Babylonian tablets included associations between thunder
and rain. The Chaldeans differentiated the 22 and 46 halos.[1]
Ancient Indian Upanishads contain mentions of clouds and seasons.[2] The Samaveda mentions sacrifices to be
performed when certain phenomena were noticed.[1] Varhamihira's classical work Brihatsamhita, written about
500 AD,[2] provides evidence of weather observation.
In 350 BC, Aristotle wrote Meteorology.[3] Aristotle is considered the founder of meteorology.[4] One of the most
impressive achievements described in the Meteorology is the description of what is now known as the hydrologic
cycle.[5]
The book De Mundo (composed before 250 BC or between 350 and 200 BC) noted[6]
If the flashing body is set on fire and rushes violently to the Earth it is called a thunderbolt; if it is only
half of fire, but violent also and massive, it is called a meteor; if it is entirely free from fire, it is called
a smoking bolt. They are all called 'swooping bolts' because they swoop down upon the Earth. Lightning
is sometimes smoky, and is then called 'smoldering lightning"; sometimes it darts quickly along, and is
then said to be vivid. At other times, it travels in crooked lines, and is called forked lightning. When it
swoops down upon some object it is called 'swooping lightning'.
The Greek scientist Theophrastus compiled a book on weather forecasting, called the Book of Signs. The
work of Theophrastus remained a dominant influence in the study of weather and in weather forecasting for
nearly 2,000 years.[7] In 25 AD, Pomponius Mela, a geographer for the Roman Empire, formalized the
climatic zone system.[8] According to Toufic Fahd, around the 9th century, Al-Dinawari wrote the Kitab al-
Nabat (Book of Plants), in which he deals with the application of meteorology to agriculture during
the Muslim Agricultural Revolution. He describes the meteorological character of the sky,
the planets and constellations, the sun and moon, the lunar phases indicating seasons and rain,
the anwa (heavenly bodies of rain), and atmospheric phenomena such as winds, thunder, lightning, snow,
floods, valleys, rivers, lakes.[9][10][verification needed]
Early attempts at predicting weather were often related to prophesy and divining and sometimes based on
astrological ideas. Admiral FitzRoy tried to separate scientific approaches from prophetic ones.[11]