It may be different in other languages, or in other English-speaking countries, or even in other parts of the United States, but all my life I have heard people ask, “Do you have a temperature?,” when they mean, “Do you have a fever?” (And I gratefully think, “Yes, I have a temperature; I always have a temperature. Fortunately, it’s usually normal.”) In the same vein, I would like to remark, “We have really had some weather.” (And, of course, so have you.)
As noted previously, the Washington, D.C., area set a new record for annual snowfall accumulation over this past (2009-2010) winter. But extremes didn’t end with our wintry winter. This year also marked our warmest spring on record, which was just a run-up to the intense summer we are now “enjoying.” In this we have contributed our share to the warmest June on record worldwide: not only was the average temperature for the area the highest since records have been kept (OK, only since 1871), but we also tied the record for days at or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (that is, over 32 degrees Celsius); in July we have had temperatures [and these qualify as fevers!] as high as 102 degrees Fahrenheit (ca. 39 degrees Celsius).
Heat waves are classed in 551.5253
[Temperature] Variations over time at earth’s surface; an including note indicates that both maximums and minimums are in standing room there. An example of literature
classed in 551.5232 is Sizzle!: A book about heat waves.
If that weren’t enough, a few weeks ago we had the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the area (OK, so records have been kept only since 1974, and the earthquake was only a magnitude 3.6 quake, but Washington, D.C., just doesn’t “do” perceptible earthquakes). To top things off, a week ago we had a brief, but powerful storm (with occasional hurricane-force, “straight line” winds, created by our hot and humid conditions) that left hundreds of thousands of customers without power. Some people got their power back after several days, only to have it knocked out again by a somewhat less powerful storm that came through a few days later.
Works on earthquakes are classed in 551.22 Earthquakes. You
might be wondering if somehow there’s a connection between heat and earthquakes
or more generally between weather and earthquakes. And the answer—so far as I know—is no. The earthquake is mentioned here as another
oddity in our external circumstances.
But note how earthquakes are practically “next door” to weather in the
DDC. This is because both are part of
Earth sciences.
Works on thunderstorms are classed in 551.554 Thermal convective storms, where they appear in a
class-here note. Works on wind are classed in 551.518 Wind. An example of a work classed in 551.518 is Extreme wind speeds at 129 Stations in the
contiguous United States,
classed in 551.5180973 (built with 551.518 Wind plus notation T1—09 Geographic treatment plus
notation T2—73 United States,
following instructions at T1—093–099). A
class-elsewhere note at 551.518 instructs the classifier to “class wind in atmospheric disturbances
and formations” in 551.54; therefore a work, like Low level wind study: Bald
Hills thunderstorm season 1976-77 is classed in 551.554 with other works on
thunderstorms.
While works on wind and heat waves and thunderstorms are all classed in 551.5, the Relative Index entry Weather indexes 551.6, not 551.5. A Manual entry at 551.5 vs. 551.6 Meteorology vs. Climatology and weather gives these instructions:
Meteorology analyzes and describes the properties and phenomena of the atmosphere, and thus explains climate and weather. Meteorology is also the comprehensive subject, encompassing consideration of climatology and weather. Use 551.5 for works called “climatology,” “climate and weather,” or simply “climate” or “weather,” if they cover topics in meteorology. Use 551.6 only when the words are limited to four senses:
1. The description of phenomena of the atmosphere taken as a whole, weather usually being the short-range description, and climate the long-range description
2. The prediction of weather, climate, or specific meteorological phenomena, that is, weather forecasting and forecasts (551.63–.65)
3. The study of climate or meteorology in small areas, that is, microclimatology or micrometeorology (551.66)
4. The attempt to modify weather or any specific meteorological phenomena (551.68), which is actually a technology
Use 551.5 numbers for all other aspects, including description (weather reports) of specific phenomena, regardless of the terms used in the work in hand, e.g., a discussion of the factors that produce weather 551.5, reports of rainfall 551.577, a description of climate types of Asia 551.62095, forecasts of rainfall 551.6477, a forecast of a rainy day in Singapore 551.655957.
If in doubt, prefer 551.5.
As none of the circumstances enumerated above (description of atmosphere taken as a whole, weather forecasting, micrometeorology, weather modification) apply, all our weather-related numbers have come from 551.5.
With power outages we finally get to a class outside 551 Geology, hydrology, meteorology. An including note at 621.319 [Electric power] Transmission states that works on power failure are to be classed in that number. An appropriate example of a work classed in this number is Analysis of storm related outages and restoration measures, Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Because power failures do not approximate the whole of 621.319, notation for Washington, D.C., is not added.
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