What's the history of storm glass?
As a strong believer in the capabilities of the storm glass, Admiral FitzRoy promoted its use throughout the United kingdom to help meterorologists make better weather forecasts, especially after a strom in 1859 caused hundresd of fatalities at sea,
Since the more accurate barometers of the time were too expensive for mass production, the British Crown ordered large numbers of storm glasses to be delivered to coastal towns and maritime communities throughout the British Islands.
At the time, storm glasses became commonly known as "FitzRoy;s storm barometers."
Durting the late 1800s, mercury barometers became much affordable. As a result, storm glasses started to lose their pupularity.
They also proved to be much less accurate than originally thought, which contributed in no small part to their demise in the meteorological community.
Altough we don't know who exactly invented storm glass, British Naval Officer Admiral Robert Fitzroy is the one who brought the device to fame by documeting his use of it durting the 1850s. Fun fact: He was the captain aboard the HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin durting his time researching animals and evolution. Eventually, mercury barometers became the more favorable way of determining changes in weather and storm glass became sort of irrelevant as mercury thermometers took over.
Is storm glass accurate?
According to Weather Station Advisor, storm glass only has around 50/50 chance of being right on the ball about predicting the conditions-to-be outside--but that doesn't mean you souldn't completely count them out from decorating your coffee table. Storm glass can be used as a great conversatio station starterm especially when you know the history of how they were first invented ( and how they're supposed to work, of course). If you purchase your own storm glass, let it sit for two weeks before it can begin giving you its predictions.
