Walked past Port Lynas lighthouse, Anglesey. The site of a tragedy which had far-reaching consequences. In October 1859 the Royal Charter was returning from Australia, with over 450 passengers/crew looking forward to reaching Liverpool. A storm blew up. The captain was advised to shelter in Holyhead, but he pressed on. Eventually he dropped anchor, but the wind was too strong, even for the steam engines, and the ship was blown onto the rocks by the force 12 gale. Although just yards from the shore, nearly everyone aboard died on the rocks. One sailor reached the shore with a rope and saved 38 lives.

Captain Fitzroy, who had been the captain of the Beagle for Darwin’s expedition, headed the newly formed Meteorological Office. Seeing what had happened, he coined the concept of “forecasting” the weather, particularly for sailors at sea. He became famous – and the subject of ridicule when the forecasts were wrong. In the end the stress proved fatal: he committed suicide. But weather forecasts were here to stay.