Talking about the weather

Weather extremes in the North and South Poles and their rapidly-changing climates are the latest subjects of a fascinating series of podcasts about our atmosphere. Scientists at The University of Manchester have started producing the monthly episodes to inform people about the weather, climate and air pollution. This includes seismic recent events such as the Icelandic volcano ash cloud, as well as what makes hurricanes tick and why playing football at the World Cup was tricky for some (and not just England). The podcast has been put together by academics at the Centre for Atmospheric Science, and features a round-table discussion followed by 'Grant's Rant' - a controversial and fiery assessment of an atmospheric issue from contributor Dr Grant Allen. It is hoped the informative and entertaining half-hour broadcasts will inform and entertain about the world around us. The third episode, Polar Opposites which was released 2 September, is about weather and climate at the North and South poles. One of the main subjects discussed is the variations between the poles and how that leads to differences in the weather and climate.