http://typhoon.rdg.ac.uk/Introduction/intro.html (PC Press Internet CD, 03/1996)
The University of Reading's Department of Meteorology was founded in 1965. It is the only UK University which offers a full range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in meteorology.
The Department, which is led by Prof. B.J.Hoskins FRS, has about 16 academic teaching staff, 50 research staff and 11 support staff. About 50 undergraduate students are currently registered for BSc degrees involving meteorology; a further 60 postgraduate students are registered for research, MSc and Diploma degrees.
Teaching facilities include a lecture theatre, a synoptic laboratory (for lectures and practicals), a physical laboratory, a meteorological enclosure (for observing and field experiments), a departmental library and study area, and a computer laboratory. The Department receives `real time' weather information in the form of satellite pictures, facsimile charts and global telecommunications data, all of which are used for teaching purposes as well as being displayed for general interest.
In the latest Teaching Quality Assessment, the department was graded as excellent, the highest grade.
The Department is very active in research and has close research and training links with the European Centre for Medium Range Forecasts, located close to the University, and with the UK Meteorological Office, whose Training School is also in Reading. These links provide excellent facilities for acquiring special data sets and other material useful in teaching and research.
In the latest research assesment exercise, the department was graded 5 (the highest grade) denoting world wide excellence in a broad range of subjects in Meteorology.
The Department is currently housed in a set of single storey buildings dating from the 1940's. However in Novemeber 1996 we will move into a purpose built new building.
