We often do not encounter atmospheric events directly, but rather in a “hyper-mediated” form of data and news while sitting in a thermostat-regulated room.
During the golden age of American television, the news value of weather reports was enhanced using a variety of performance techniques and attractive “weathergirls” all took part in telling us whether we’d need an umbrella. The hosts fully exploited the performative potential of the genre—Ginger Stanley, for example, even broadcast from inside a water tank. On-site reports about cyclones and hurricanes also dramatize the spectacle of weather, as viewers can watch someone directly experiencing the storm’s real intensity from the comfort of their homes.
Why do we still need human mediation today, even with increasingly sophisticated forecasting models and digital technology? What role does human perception and knowledge play in creating forecasts? Can prognostics exist without human intervention? How relevant are everyday weather observations in light of climate change?
Weather, as a factor external to us yet affecting all of us equally, offers an opportunity to reflect on the absurd aspects of human existence. In exploring meteorological phenomena, we can discover metaphors that express universal human feelings and aspirations—such as uncertainty, restlessness, control, or the illusion of control.