Thursday, February 13, 2014

Extreme Weather: Can We See What It Is Yet?

It is not just us here in the UK having a hard time with the weather.

Let's make a list, summarised from the excellent EcoNews:
(this list is subject to updates)

  1. UK: heaviest rainfall for 250 years, widespread flooding
  2. France and Italy also affected by flooding
  3. Western United States: worst drought in 500 years. Wildfires.
  4. Akaska, record high temperatures, triggering avalanches
  5. Australia: fourth hottest summer ever.
  6. Brazil, Sao Paolo: heat, drought, water shortages
  7. Bolivia: flooding and landslides
  8. Indonesia: flooding
  9. Mozambique: flooding
  10. Romania: heavy snowfall.
  11. Slovenia: ice
  12. Swaziland: rains failed, people starving
  13. Water shortages in Kosov@
  14. Heavy rain and floods follow drought in Zimbabwe 
  15. Japan gets heaviest snow in a century
Going a bit further back into 2013 :
We could go further back, but we need methodical attribution studies to make a scientifically credible case that connects climate and actual identifiable weather events. There may be other factors, notably the state of the oceans and the quietness of the Sun, but it is unreasonable to suppose that the ever-increasing levels of greenhouse gases are not involved.

On the other hand, as human beings, surely we can begin to join the dots, and see that a pattern is forming?

2 comments:

DocRichard said...

Water shortages in Kosovo http://www.dw.de/half-a-million-in-kosovo-facing-water-shortage/a-17352442

DocRichard said...

Heavy rain and floods follow drought in Zimbabwe http://grist.org/news/you-dont-have-to-live-on-a-coast-to-get-flooded-out-by-climate-change/