Here is a dramatic and compelling guide to natures most dangerous and destructive forces. Stunning full-color photographs, models and illustrations offer a unique «eyewitness» view of catastrophic weather conditions. See into the eye of a spiraling cyclone, hailstones the size of tennis balls, a spectacular lightning ball, the devastating effects of the El Nino phenomenon, and how a gentle mountain stream can become a raging torrent within a few minutes. Learn the techniques developed through the centuries to forecast weather, about the chicken that was stripped of its feathers by a tornado, about Benjamin Franklins lightning rod, and why human activity can cause weather patterns to change. Discover what causes giant waves capable of engulfing entire cities, the disastrous consequences of drought, how plants and animals have adapted to withstand extreme conditions, the weather patterns beyond Earth, and much, much more.