The meteorologist whose forecast shaped an invasion
On the night of 4 June 1944, Stagg forecast a brief improvement lasting into the dawn of 6 June.
James Stagg was a Scottish meteorologist of the British Met Office who became the senior weather adviser at Allied Supreme Headquarters during the Second World War. He combined ship observations, reconnaissance reports and intelligence with the work of British and American forecasting teams, connecting meteorology to operational command. On 4 June 1944 he identified a brief improvement after the storm, making 6 June appear viable for the Normandy landings and defining an acceptable risk rather than waiting for ideal weather. He returned to the Met Office after the war and published Forecast for Overlord in 1971.
Career Timeline
- 1921Earned an honours MA at the University of Edinburgh
- 1924Assistant, British Meteorological Office
- 1932–1933Led the British Arctic Canada Expedition
- 1939Superintendent of Kew Observatory
- 1943–1945Chief Meteorological Officer, SHAEF for Operation Overlord
- 1944Group Captain, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
- 1945–1960Returned to the Met Office, serving as Director of Services until 1960
- 1971Published Forecast for Overlord