1922: Knickerbocker Storm, USA
Beginning during the evening of 27 January, the so-called Knickerbocker Storm saw a total of 2ft 4in (0.7m) of snow fall in just over 24 hours in Washington DC, a record for a single storm. The huge snowstorm dump was a complete surprise to the capital as local forecasts had predicted mild weather just the day before. The storm got its moniker after the Knickerbocker Theater, whose roof collapsed under the weight of the snow, killing 98 people and injuring 133 more.
1925: Tri-State Tornado, USA
A lack of warning from weather forecasters made this tornado one of the deadliest in US history when it barrelled along from southeastern Missouri through southern Illinois and into southwestern Indiana on 18 March 1925. The large and fast weather system killed 695 people, 600 of which were in Illinois, the worst hit state. Entire towns and farms were destroyed and thousands were left homeless. The forecast had been normal for that day. In fact, the word “tornado” had been banned from US weather forecasts since the late 19th century to avoid inciting panic and would continue to be until the 1950s.
2009: Drought, India
Predicting the monsoons in India is a notoriously difficult task, but the failure of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to foresee what would be the worst drought to affect India in nearly four decades in 2009 still shadows the bureau. It had forecast that the monsoons for the year would be on time and at normal levels, which gave farmers the go-ahead to sow their seeds accordingly. The subsequent delay and low levels of critical summer rains devastated the country’s seeds, crops and farming communities. A few years later the IMD joined up with some of the world's major forecasters in an effort to forecast monsoons more accurately.
2010: Typhoon Conson, Philipines
A high-profile firing came after Filipino weather forecasters failed to warn the public that a typhoon would strike the capital Manila. Typhoon Conson hit the populous city on 14 July, killing 111 and caused major structural damage. President Benigno Aquino III later criticised the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) for its errors in predicting the storm and its chief Prisco Nilo was removed from office. He blamed low budgets and inadequate equipment.
2012: Superstorm Sandy, USA
It’s widely acknowledged that science mostly got the forecast correct for Sandy, a hurricane and later so-called superstorm that roared up the Atlantic Coast from the Caribbean in October 2012. But it was the classification of the storm that is thought to have had an impact on the way the public reacted. In line with its protocol, the National Hurricane Centre decided not to issue hurricane warnings north of North Carolina, when Sandy merged with two cold-weather systems to become an unusual hybrid storm. This contributed to miscommunication and confusion for the various authorities issuing alerts to the public, some of whom may not have taken the storm as seriously.