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Floods could wreak havoc in midwestern and eastern states, 10. Will violent weather and seismic activity be as bad in including areas near the Mississippi and Ohio river valleys, from 2001? late June through July. I think that violent weather patterns will still be ongoing California could also experience heavy rainfall and mudslides throughout 2001, which gets off to a stormy start from mid- in July. January through February. However, the time frame when I For the Atlantic hurricane season, tropical storms will begin in expect really violent weather patterns, possibly the strongest for July, with several dangerous hurricanes to watch for in August, the year, is from May through June. Many areas of the world can mid-September and October. expect some "freak" storms during these months. In my book, I A fierce system forming in the Atlantic around August 22-31, have listed other months when violent storm activity can also be possibly attaining category-five hurricane status, could take aim at expected. I don't think seismic activity will be as severe as in Florida or the Carolinas. 2000. For one thing, the sunspot activity will be decreasing with the 11-year sunspot cycle on the wane, and the planetary align- 8. And what about 2001 for the United States? ment will be long gone, so stresses on the Earth's crust should be The year 2001 will get off to a stormy start with some pretty lessened. That is, with the exception of June 10-22, when power- severe, wintry conditions for the US from mid-January through ful tremors could strike California and along the Southwest February. Blizzards, possible ice storms, and lots of heavy snow- Pacific subduction plate boundary where the Australian plate fall will plague the northern states. dives under the Pacific plate. But I'm not entirely sure whether The worst months anticipated for violent weather in 2001 will this influence will trigger quakes or fierce tropical storms. be from May through June, when severe tornado outbreaks could Quakes are especially dangerous in the Pacific Ocean, as they rip up through tornado alley, the Midwest and the Deep South. can generate powerful tsunamis—like the monstrous waves which For the second year in a row, the Mississippi and Ohio river val- devastated northern New Guinea in July 1998 and, more recently, leys are likely to experience major flooding. Vanuatu on November 28, 1999. If a powerful jolt does hit the California could be either rocked by another powerful tremor Southwest Pacific region, resultant tsunamis could threaten near- between June 10-22, or targeted by a by island communities as well as the rare offshore hurricane that has coastline of Queensland, Australia. meandered further north than usual. If an El Nifio doesn't develop in 11. How do conventional meteo- 2001, the Atlantic hurricane season | have achieved around 85% rologists regard astrometeorology? will begin in June with several fierce . . Meteorologists do not place any cre- tropical storms. Other intense hurri- accuracy in forecasting dence in long-range weather forecast- canes should form around late weather patterns, long range, ing because they are of the opinion that August through mid-September, and dee . the planets are too far away to have several unusually powerful hurri- for specific locations, and any effect on terrestrial weather pat- canes are expected to form in . terns. That's more or less their scientif- October. ° the same for tropical storms. ic basis for rejecting astrometeorology as a credible method. But then, science has always rejected world in 2000? And when? new schools of thought. It took Among the countries hardest hit in Christopher Columbus in 1492 to sail 2000 will be India in the months of July and August, when one of around the world to prove it wasn't flat and, less than fifty years the most severe monsoon floods on record will devastate parts of later, Copernicus to prove that the Earth revolved around the Sun 9. What about the rest of the the country. and not vice-versa. The eclipse patterns occurring in July will also trigger floods in western Africa, northern Italy, Mexico and the British Isles. 12. How accurate is astrometeorology compared with the Several of the world's volcanoes currently going through an _—_—s more conventional methods of meteorology? eruptive phase—such as Montserrat's Soufriére Hills volcano, It is more accurate, especially in the long range. Conventional Mexico's Popocatépetl and Italy's Mount Etna—should be closely methods can only forecast the weather about two weeks ahead, monitored from April onwards. and even then with constant updates. I have achieved around 85 In fact, any volcano throughout the world showing signs of per cent accuracy in forecasting weather patterns, long range, for renewed activity around the March or April period could be in specific locations, and the same for tropical storms. danger of suddenly erupting on a major scale in May, July or Australia's famous long-range weather forecaster Inigo Jones October. was able to predict accurately, twenty years in advance, the severe Heightened earthquake activity will most likely begin around drought that affected Australia starting in 1982—which demon- mid-March, increase throughout April and peak in the month of strates how accurate astrometeorology can be. May. Southern Italy, California, Turkey, China, Mexico and New Zealand are likely to be among regions of the globe affected by 13. How did you become interested in astrometeorology? seismic activity. My interest in astrometeorology and earthquake prediction October is another danger point for earthquakes and volcanic began in early 1980 after reading a small book on the subject activity. Countries likely to be affected by earthquakes in when I was living in Brisbane, Australia. October are Mexico, Japan, southern Italy and possibly northern Predicting violent weather patterns of the life-threatening sort California. was far more interesting and challenging than forecasting fair Violent weather could also target the Philippines and Japan, weather, and in 1985 I began to specialise, publicise and success- among other places. fully predict tropical storms as well as powerful summer storms. Floods could wreak havoc in midwestern and eastern states, including areas near the Mississippi and Ohio river valleys, from late June through July. California could also experience heavy rainfall and mudslides in July. For the Atlantic hurricane season, tropical storms will begin in July, with several dangerous hurricanes to watch for in August, mid-September and October. A fierce system forming in the Atlantic around August 22-31, possibly attaining category-five hurricane status, could take aim at Florida or the Carolinas. accuracy in forecasting weather patterns, long range, for specific locations, and the same for tropical storms. 12. How accurate is astrometeorology compared with the more conventional methods of meteorology? It is more accurate, especially in the long range. Conventional methods can only forecast the weather about two weeks ahead, and even then with constant updates. I have achieved around 85 per cent accuracy in forecasting weather patterns, long range, for specific locations, and the same for tropical storms. Australia's famous long-range weather forecaster Inigo Jones was able to predict accurately, twenty years in advance, the severe drought that affected Australia starting in 1982—which demon- strates how accurate astrometeorology can be. 13. How did you become interested in astrometeorology? My interest in astrometeorology and earthquake prediction began in early 1980 after reading a small book on the subject when I was living in Brisbane, Australia. Predicting violent weather patterns of the life-threatening sort was far more interesting and challenging than forecasting fair weather, and in 1985 I began to specialise, publicise and success- fully predict tropical storms as well as powerful summer storms. NEXUS © 17 | have achieved around 85% FEBRUARY — MARCH 2000