The Film “Pressure” Recreates the D-Day Weather Forecast

The new drama *Pressure* opens in UK and Irish cinemas from 9 September. It follows Royal Air Force-uniformed meteorologist Gp Capt James Stagg (portrayed by Andrew Scott) as he advises Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower (played by Brendan Fraser) on whether the Normandy beaches will be suitable for the invasion originally slated for 5 June 1944. The production consulted meteorologists to reproduce the original weather charts and observation codes used in June 1944.

The Guardian

“But then there were … just a couple of ships, a couple of submarines maybe and some aircraft observations. And that’s it.” — Crucially. Upper-air data were limited, and most information came from surface pressure, temperature, dew point, wind speed and direction. Three Allied teams generated differing predictions for 5 June; Stagg initially deemed conditions too perilous, prompting a postponement. By the evening of 4 June, a consensus emerged that a brief window on 6 June might be viable, and the invasion proceeded. Access to German observations—obtained through the Enigma break at Bletchley Park—gave the Allies an additional data source “But because of Bletchley Park they had broken the Enigma code, so they had access to all of the German weather observations as well,” — Burt. Catherine Ross.

The Guardian

He adds that even modern AI-driven models struggle to reproduce the 6 June 1944 forecast using only the period’s data. “Stagg was in a very difficult position. He left his very pregnant wife to come and do this very important task,” — Images Prof Ed Hawkins. “It’s the most famous forecast ever made by the Met Office. It’s probably one of the most important weather forecasts in history,” — Burt. Catherine Ross.

The Guardian

• “But then there were … just a couple of ships, a couple of submarines maybe and some aircraft observations. And that’s it.” “But then there were … just a couple of ships, a couple of submarines maybe and some aircraft observations. And that’s it.” — Crucially

The Guardian

• “Stagg was in a very difficult position. He left his very pregnant wife to come and do this very important task,” “Stagg was in a very difficult position. He left his very pregnant wife to come and do this very important task,” — Images Prof Ed Hawkins

The Guardian

• “They managed to do the forecast, and the invasion, and get away with it,” “They managed to do the forecast, and the invasion, and get away with it,” — Burt. Burt, of the University of Reading, an adviser for the film

The Guardian

• “But because of Bletchley Park they had broken the Enigma code, so they had access to all of the German weather observations as well,” “But because of Bletchley Park they had broken the Enigma code, so they had access to all of the German weather observations as well,” — Burt. Catherine Ross

The Guardian

• “It’s the most famous forecast ever made by the Met Office. It’s probably one of the most important weather forecasts in history,” “It’s the most famous forecast ever made by the Met Office. It’s probably one of the most important weather forecasts in history,” — Burt. Catherine Ross

The Guardian