Why do more and more people want to become a meteorologist?

When Mario Picazo started taking time on television (in Telecinco, in 1996), the soles and clouds hit the map with magnets. But in a piss he went to the 3D cards that make ‘between the clouds’ possible. “One day a man told me that very much, yes, but his mother keeps an eye on time.” Picazo says he loved meteorology “thanks to a teacher of natural sciences” that he had in his bup, although he would be the “rare” of the class. Nowadays, however, it is no longer exceptional for young people to want to make men and women of time. «There are more and more followers, yes. Children who want to study something that is related to the environment, whether it is meteorology, climate change or something that has to do with the solutions that we urgently need to stop it to stop ». Picazo does not exaggerate with urgency.

«The temperatures are rising, there are more and more storms and the weather is more extreme. People are right when they say that time is not the same as thirty years ago. I remember that as a child in Monzón (Huesca) they dry the clothes in the winter and stayed hard like a table for the cold; That is not happening, “explains Silvia Laplana, a meteorologist at RTVE.

Picazo confirms what his colleague says that more and more people want to become a meteorologist. «Time helps us to know which clothing you need to wear, how to make your suitcase. It is useful information from the day to day and gets more and more minutes on television, which has increased their interest and that is why the audience is already very formed. A few years ago nobody knew what an Isoobara was, but today the spectators tell you about explosive cyclogenesis. For not counting the amount of blogs about meteorology … ».

Although it is usual that the men and women of time are physical and geographers, she studied optics and optometry. «Meteorology has always interested me. My mother tells me: “Now I understand why you always said I wanted to see a tornado.” I remember that I looked at Mariano Medina, Paco Montesdeoca, José Antonio Maldonado, Ana de Roque … and Mario Picazo ».

This (Picazo), on the other hand, remembers well “from the Medina, Martín Rubio and her mustache and from the TV3 meteorologists.” He studied geography and mathematics at the University of New Mexico and then did the master’s degree and doctorate in atmospheric sciences at the University of California, where he currently lives. “The United States are a country with a wide range of extreme weather situations: tornados, hurricanes, abundant snowfall … you are not bored here,” he acknowledges.

“Happens today”

In addition to the personal calling, Picazo understands this rise of taste for meteorology in the context of the usefulness it has, much further than informing people if they can go to the beach to sunbathe. «There are many professionals who need it. From oceanographers to biologists, geographers, chemicals, physical … also economists, politicians or experts, for example in tourism. Everyone depends on time and today they not only want to know what time will do in a few days, also how it could be in a few years or in a few decades ».

And for this, says Silvia Laplana, there are meteorologists, “to make it difficult,” because meteorology “is difficult, math and physical.” And the prediction, especially complicated on these dates. «Spring is a complex station, although as it changes and becomes more extreme, we find unusual situations all year round. Meteorologists are somewhat out of time: heat waves, floods, historic snowfall, intense drought … Today everything goes to all hours, while the time before was more ‘script’, Mario Picazo acknowledges. “Not only April and May, autumn has also changed a lot,” Laplana completes.

– Are they one of those who know what time they will only look at the window?

Mario Picazo: I always look, and, if possible, not from the building where I find myself, I prefer to go outside and notice the temperature, humidity, wind … I observe the clouds and how they move and even a clear sky.

Silvia Laplana: Observation is simple. A few days ago we had many storms and they were betrayed by those clouds in the form of castle kicks. That does not fail, indicates atmospheric instability.