51¶¯Âþ

RELATIONS between Australia and New Zealand can be a bit chilly, such as when
Trevor Chappell bowled that infamous underarm delivery on the instruction
of his brother, Greg. But what about the climatic relationship between the two?
This is the topic of a book from Andrew Sturman from the University of
Canterbury and Nigel Tapper from Monash University (The Weather and
Climate of Australia and New Zealand, Oxford University Press,
$59.95, ISBN 0 19 553393 0). The work covers the basic determinants of
climate in this region and the characteristics of air masses and atmospheric
motion. It looks at local and regional weather patterns in detail and
finishes with a discourse on how human activity, notwithstanding the foibles of
cricketers, might change the whole ball game.