Wilkens Weather is fortunate to have a variety of meteorologists on staff with diverse backgrounds and extensive experience. In this issue, we are proud to recognize Luz Sosa, a native of Cuba with a Ph.D. in Meteorology from the University of Havana. Luz has lived in the United States for 4 years, and has served at Wilkens Weather for the past year and a half.

Growing up in Cuba, an island of the Caribbean vulnerable to tropical weather, it is no wonder Luz held an interest in meteorology from an early age. She was always fascinated by the movement of clouds and the reasons for the kinds of storms experienced on her island. One of her teachers, who saw her interest and talent, encouraged her to pursue a career as a meteorologist. While she was inspired by this encouragement and fascinated by meteorology, she was surprised at how difficult the study of meteorology was. She persevered and earned her bachelors degree in meteorology in 1973.

Luz has almost 30 years experience in weather analysis and forecasting in the tropical latitudes and the Caribbean Basin, including forecasting severe weather and tropical cyclones. Luz worked as a senior meteorologist in her 25-year tenure at the Cuban National Weather Service, where she enjoyed forecasting for almost 20 years until her need for greater understanding led her to earn her Ph.D. in 1995. This leap opened the doors for Luz to pursue more advanced meteorological research.

As a Cuban, Luz follows a tradition of Cuban meteorologists, who �pioneered the art of hurricane prediction.� This is a quote from Isaac�s Storm by Erik Larson. In his book, Larson discusses the Cuban meteorological tradition through a historical account of the Great Hurricane of 1900 in Galveston. Larson recalls the banning by the U.S. Weather Bureau of all weather cables coming out of Cuba. This ban was an effort to avoid frightening people unnecessarily with inaccurate severe weather warnings, as well as a desire by the Bureau to put its own name on all hurricane predictions. In defense of the Cuban expertise in hurricane prediction, Larson tells of Father Benito Vines. Father Vines took over the Belen Observatory in Havana in 1870, �where he dedicated his life to finding the meteorological signals that warned of a hurricane�s approach. It was he who discovered that high veils of cirrus clouds � rabos de gallo, or �cock�s tails� � often foretold the arrival of a hurricane.�1 The tradition of meteorological research at the Belen Observatory carried on for years until Castro took power and the Catholic schools in the country were closed. The research was retained in the library of the Cuban Institute of Meteorology, where the original hurricane maps used by the observatory can be found.

Luz left Cuba and came to America looking for an opportunity to apply her extensive experience in forecasting and meteorological research in a more challenging environment. Luz� unique experience is well suited to the needs of companies working in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. During the time she has served clients of Wilkens Weather, companies operating in the Bay of Campeche have benefited from Luz� Spanish translation, forecasting ability and expertise in the field of tropical weather. She is a huge asset to Wilkens Weather�s Mexican newspaper clients, who receive their daily weather reports from us.

Luz� research into tropical weather trends has benefited her peers, especially during the busiest time of the year, Hurricane Season. Luz� research has helped identify conditions, which increase the likelihood of the formation of a tropical wave, or a disturbance in the easterly flow in the tropical zone, that creates cyclonic activity. Understanding the behavior of tropical waves helps meteorologists to more accurately forecast hurricanes as well as all types of storms and severe weather, especially in the region of the Caribbean Islands.

1. Larson, Erik. Isaac�s Storm � A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History. Vintage Books/Random House, New York, NY, USA, 1999 � p. 102 

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