7/14/2021

Weather is Always Fine

Getting ready for the interview with the popular meteorologist Dagmar Honsová, I was contemplating the ways in which the weather impacts our lives – our experiences, daily routines, moods, clothing, and the way we feel about ourselves… One of the things that defy our control – and all the more fascinating. I was happy to be introduced to a fi eld that touches the upper layers of the atmosphere.

Dagmar Honsová

She emanates a sunny feeling. She is enthusiastic about everything to do with weather. She likes to communicate her expertise in a comprehensible and captivating way – in her weather forecasts, her book Tell the Weather and lectures for schools. She has always been fond of natural sciences because you can “touch” them and there is always something to explore. She gained a doctoral degree in biometeorology from the Czech University of Life Sciences. She started out at Meteopress. Today, she is a freelance meteorologist and collaborates with Czech media.

Weather is often an icebreaker in a conversation, a perennial one, something you can discuss with anybody on any occasion. Would you agree?

Definitely. In the Czech Republic, we are all experts in football and weather! The weather is important for people in towns and villages, gardeners, dog keepers, mushroomers, fishers or hunters. People who live in the mountains have special weather forecasting skills because clouds can move and change rapidly at high altitudes. I might look at a scan and predict rain, but mountain dwellers would laugh it off ; they know exactly which mountain ridge will hold the cloud.

You mentioned football. How much does weather impact physical performance?

A study says that footballers perform the best at temperatures around 20°C, with a mild breeze and cloudy sky. Athletes tend to adapt their activities to weather. Generally, the best temperature is between 12 and 22°C. But in colder weather, we burn more calories and slim faster. Running in windy weather can be demanding, especially when you run against the wind. Interestingly, runners feel the ambient temperature about 4°C higher than it is. 

The weather is always fine, only it might not be pleasing for everybody.

Dagmar Honsová

What are the health risks related to summer weather?

It is largely about the low altitude ozone. The combination of sunny weather, absence of precipitation, transport emissions and industrial air pollution is suff ocating. People with allergies have to count with pollen as well. They should go to nature preferably after a rain or in a fresh breeze which disperses the pollen powder. The worst time is before a storm when the ionisation in the air breaks allergens into smaller particles which cause mucosal irritation.

It is said that there is no bad weather, only poor clothing…

The weather is always fine, only it might not be pleasing for everybody. Current weather forecasting is very accurate, so you can get ready. Chance favours the prepared mind. When you go for a run and it is about to rain, take something waterproof, because wet cotton conducts warmth from the body and you can catch a cold.

Text: Renata Kučerová
You can find the whole article in the summer issue of the
Leo Express magazine.

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