This blog post provides details of how to build the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) to run on a Raspberry Pi. These notes have been tested with WRFv4.1.2 on a Raspberry Pi 2. The build process is essentially the same as that for a regular Unix-based PC, with some minor adjustments to the configuration settings to build for the Pi’s ARM processor. It is also necessary to make use of an external hard drive to act as a swap space during compilation, as a workaround for the limited amount of RAM.

As a programmer and music lover, I have a lot of affection for Sonic Pi, a code-based music creation and performance tool. I discovered it whilst tinkering around on my Raspberry Pi, where it comes bundled with the Raspbian operating system, although versions for Windows and MacOS are also available.

Sonic Pi is a wonderful tool for introducing students to coding via music, and does not assume or require any prior programming experience. The online tutorial makes it straightforward to create your own compositions in no time at all. That is not to say that it isn’t a powerful tool. The beauty of learning to code with Sonic Pi is that it includes many commonly used programming concepts and structures, including functions, loops, conditionals and even threads.

“It’s night time in the big city. Rain is falling, fog rolls in from the waterfront. A night shift nurse smokes the last cigarette in a pack. Curious about what the weather looks like? Just look out your window, take a walk outside.”

These words mark the beginning of the first ever episode of Bob Dylan’s acclaimed radio show, Theme Time Radio Hour, which first aired in May 2006 and ran for 100 episodes until April 2009. Each episode saw Dylan fulfilling the role of DJ, playing songs around a central theme.