Tag: Storm Troupers: The Fight to Forecast the Weather

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 04/06/2016

The Last Leg - 10-06-2016 - YouView appThe Adventure Show (BBC 2 Scotland & BBC iPlayer only | 7:00pm to 8:00pm | Sunday 5th June 2016)

In the first of a new series, the Adventure Show take to the rapids of the River Tay for the Grandtully Premier Slalom. Olympic gold-medallist Tim Baillie gives an expert’s view on the action. Plus Cameron McNeish heads north to meet a remarkable man who, 50 years ago, achieved one of the greatest feats in the history of adventure.

Top Gear (BBC 2/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Sunday 5th June 2016)

This week, Matt, Chris and Eddie Jordan take music stars Sharleen Spiteri, Seasick Steve and Tinie Tempah on the ultimate SUV test in wildest South Africa. Back at the track, F1 superstar Jenson Button gives Chris a ride in the McLaren 675LT, while actor Damian Lewis is this week’s Star in a Rallycross Car.

City in the Sky (BBC 2/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Sunday 5th June 2016)

Dallas Campbell and Dr Hannah Fry investigate what it takes to get a million people and their luggage off the ground and up in the air. From building the world’s biggest passenger plane to navigating through the busiest airport on the planet, to the perils of getting airborne in the coldest city on earth – Dallas and Hannah go to extremes to get under the skin of the remarkable story of departure. You will never look at flying in the same way again.

Britain’s Busiest Airport – Heathrow (itv/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 6th June 2016)

Documentary series filmed over seven months looking at life behind the scenes at the UK’s biggest and busiest airport. In this edition, engineers rush to give an aircraft the world’s most expensive nose-job before it is needed to fly hundreds of passengers to America for Thanksgiving. Check-in assistant Lacey faces the daunting challenge of ensuring every kilo of excess baggage is weighed and paid for by passengers on a full flight to Bangladesh. Meanwhile, security staff race against the clock to screen every passenger and bag in time. Out on the airfield, aircraft handler Anasthasia leads an army of staff to trying to get a high-profile flight away on time.

Storm Troupers: The Fight to Forecast the Weather (BBC 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 6th June 2016)

Series in which Alok Jha charts the history of weather forecasting. The final episode tells the story of how meteorology became one of the most important scientific endeavours of the modern age. Alok charts the progress of computer-based forecasting through the characters who pioneered it. He relives the moments that shook faith in forecasting to its core, investigates the discovery of chaos theory, which threatened to undo all confidence in 20th-century science, and discovers the scientific consequences of that infamous forecast – Michael Fish’s missed hurricane, the Great Storm of 1987. Alok uses science demonstrations to investigate the chaotic, unpredictable nature of weather, meets present-day giants of meteorology and observes one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world in action. Based in the Met Office HQ in Exeter, it’s capable of simulating our entire planet’s climate and will help humanity face the vagaries of our weather and climate for generations to come.

The Last Leg (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 11:05pm | Friday 10th June 2016)

The award-winning live weekly satirical comedy show returns for an eighth series, hosted by Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe. The first guest of the series, Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, joins the team to examine the biggest and most entertaining news stories. Viewers can tweet the kind of edgy current affairs questions that other shows might duck on Twitter handle #isitok.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.

UK TV programmes to watch this week : 21/05/2016

Secret Life of the Human Pups - 25-05-2016 - YouView appHorizon (BBC 2/HD | 9:30pm to 10:35pm | Sunday 22nd May 2016)

Michael Mosley investigates the dramatic rise in e-cigarettes. They are everywhere these days, but what does the latest scientific research on them reveal? Michael reveals what e-cigarettes are really doing to your health. Are they really better for you than cigarettes? What is actually in them? Is passive vapour harmful? And can they really stop you from smoking? Michael meets some of the scientists around the world studying them, asks a group of volunteers to try to give up smoking regular cigarettes using them, and even takes up ‘vaping’ himself, smoking an e-cigarette every day for a month to see the effects on his own health – no easy task for such a committed non-smoker.

Storm Troupers: The Fight to Forecast the Weather (BBC 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Monday 23rd May 2016)

Series in which Alok Jha charts the history of weather forecasting from its origins in the 19th century. To begin, he investigates how forecasting was transformed from superstition into science. At the heart of story is meteorologist Robert Fitzroy. Driven to prevent disasters at sea – like the wrecking of a passenger ship off the Anglesey coast in 1859 – Fitzroy issued Britain’s first storm warnings and came up with the first forecast to be published in a newspaper. Alok explores the knowledge Fitzroy was building on. He investigates weather folklore, asking if sayings such as ‘red sky at night, shepherd’s delight’ have any merit. He tells the stories of the other heroes of meteorology – people like Evangelista Torricelli, a student of Galileo’s, who invented the barometer; Luke Howard, who classified the clouds; and Francis Beaufort, who came up with the famous wind scale. Alok also discovers that public complaints about weather forecasts date back to the very first ones.

Boris v Dave: The Battle for Europe (Channel 4/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday 25th May 2016)

With less than a month to go before the European referendum, Michael Crick examines how the campaign has become a battle between Britain’s most high-profile politicians. Through revealing interviews with their friends, families and political allies and foes, Crick examines the history behind this very public duel and how it has come to a head over Europe. David Cameron and Boris Johnson have a shared past, first at Eton, then at Oxford as members of the elite Bullingdon Club, and now in the top echelons of the Conservative Party. The documentary explores the dynamic between the two men. Crick provides his insight into the backgrounds of the two big-hitters and explores the incidents that have shaped and formed their political views. This landmark programme provides a definitive look at the personal battle that will define both Britain’s future relationship with Europe and the leadership of the Tory Party and the country.

Secret Life of the Human Pups (Channel 4/HD | 10:00pm to 10:50pm | Wednesday 25th May 2016)

A quarter of British households have a dog. But some people don’t just want to own a dog; they want to be one. Secret Life of the Human Pups introduces a previously unseen subculture of ordinary men who lead extraordinary double lives, dressing up in elaborate dog suits that cost thousands of pounds as they strive to become their very own pet. Human puppy play has become a global phenomenon in recent years and there are now an estimated 10,000 ‘human pups’ in the UK alone. But what makes these grown men covet doggy treats, belly rubs and squeaky toys? And why has it risen in popularity? Getting under the skin of this weird and wonderful world, this documentary explores what it takes to become a human pup, the impact it has on friends and loved ones and why, for some people, it has become a way of life.

The Truth About Alcohol (BBC 1/HD | 9:00pm to 10:00pm | Thursday 26th May 2016)

A&E doctor Javid Abdelmoneim is on a mission to find out the truth about alcohol. In January, the government released its new alcohol guidelines. For men, the recommended weekly limit was cut by a third to 14 units per week, equivalent to about seven pints of beer, bringing it in line with the amount recommended for women. So what is behind the change? This is just one question of many that Javid aims to answer as he explores the science of drinking and the new evidence for the health risks of alcohol. Why do some people get drunk quicker than others? What is behind red wine’s healthy reputation? Is a nightcap actually good for your sleep? Does lining your stomach work? And can alcohol actually make you eat more?

George Clarke’s Amazing Homes on Wheels (Channel 4/HD | 8:00pm to 9:00pm | Friday 27th May 2016)

George looks back across five series of Amazing Spaces and the incredible works of engineering people have achieved with their vehicles – from the scrap Learjet turned into a luxury garden studio to the restoration of the only surviving British mobile cinema truck. There is also the 1950s railway carriage converted into a three bedroom home and an incredibly stylish custom-designed Jeep transformed into a cocktail bar.

All TV guide information taken from DigiGuide — www.getdigiguide.tv/?p=1&r=15119.