The 1914–18 war was the first in which specialised meteorological information was extensively used.

Indirectly, the war of 1914–18 was responsible for the development of the Polar Front theory (suggested earlier by Shaw and Lempfert) to the point of its application to weather forecasting, when Norwegian meteorologists, denied reports from other nations, conducted a close examination of an enlarged network of observations within their own country.

The British Expeditionary Force set up in France a Field Meteorological Service of the Royal Engineers; this service expanded and extended to other sectors of the fighting. Captain E. Kidson was in this Field Meteorological Service operating in the Salonika Theatre.

The principal functions which he carried out during the war were:

1. forecast of wind for gas warfare; and


2. forecast of wind at flying levels for the Royal Flying Corps. Later there were demands which he had to meet viz.:


3. wind and temperature conditions in the upper air;


4. experimental attempts were made at single-observer forecasting.

Bureau of Meteorology