The weather goes on show

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This cloud photography from 1890 proves that people have found weather fascinating for a long time. (Swiss National Museum) Swiss National Museum

View looking towards the Üetliberg mountain from the Albis chain, near Zurich. The maximum fog height is 800 metres above sea level. (Daniel Gerstrasser, MeteoSwiss) Daniel Gerstrasser, MeteoSwiss

Research station for meteorology and glaciology on the Jungfraujoch mountain in the Bernese Oberland. It is Europe’s highest permanently staffed weather station. (MeteoSwiss) MeteoSwiss

Meteorologist measuring the high-altitude winds in Dübendorf, a Zurich suburb, with a balloon, 1932-1948. (ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv/Siftung Luftbild Schweiz/Swissair Photo AG) ETH-Bibliothek Zürich, Bildarchiv/Siftung Luftbild Schweiz/Swissair Photo AG

Weather radar on the Pointe de la Plaine Morte mountain in the canton of Valais. (Urs Germann, MeteoSwiss) Urs Germann, MeteoSwiss

Autumnal, dry foehn wind atmosphere in the eastern Bernese Alps. The Eiger, with its famous north face, is in the centre of the image. (Daniel Gerstrasser, MeteoSwiss) Daniel Gerstrasser, MeteoSwiss

Lightning strikes to the south of Winterthur in the canton of Zurich. (Andreas Hostettler, MeteoSwiss) Andreas Hostettler, MeteoSwiss

Bizarre ice structures in Versoix by Lake Geneva, when the temperature is between -7 and -11 degrees Celsius and there are gusts of wind with speeds of up to 80 km/h. (Dean Gill, MeteoSwiss) Dean Gill, MeteoSwiss

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An exhibition at the National Museum Zurich looks at our fascination with the weather, and explores meteorology from its humble beginnings to the high-tech measurements and analysis used today.

The Weather. Sunshine, Lightning and Cloudbursts, which runs until May 21, 2017, has been created in partnership with the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss.

Displayed alongside the latest technology are some of the first photographs of clouds, which helped in their classification, as well as some of the earlier climate measuring apparatus.

Many fascinating facets of the weather, from the strong foehn wind, which is encountered in the Alps, and strange icy formations, can be seen in this exhibition gallery as well.

(Text: Isobel Leybold-Johnson)