Friday, July 13, 2007

Extremes of condition.

While most of the southern hemisphere has experienced unusually cold conditions in what is their winter (see post below) parts of the northern hemisphere have registered other extremes of circumstance. These involve floods and torrential rain in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Texas, and Oklahoma in the USA, as well as near heatwave conditions in New York and other areas of the eastern US coastline.

For those tempted to believe that maybe this involved the subtle effects attributed to Global Warming or Climate Change, then think again. As the picture below shows quite prominently the floods and prolonged rainfall were no more than the result of warm winds from the south colliding with those from the north. The meeting point between them inevitably produced ferocious downpours which once again considering the factors involved owes less to some fanciful scenario such as Climate Change and more to natural cycles of weather that have existed for thousands of years.

Meanwhile the New York heatwave was the result of warm southerly winds emanating from the Gulf of Mexico. (click on map for larger version)

In Europe there was a sharp division between north and south. For example while Britain continued to experience a parody of summer with cool, wet, and windy conditions, the Mediterranean regions could not be more different. Areas of Spain registered around 43 degrees centigrade, and in Greece there was a return to a mini heatwave with some areas touching 40 degrees, following highs of 47 degrees only a few weeks ago.

And the reason? Was it Global Warming? Climate Change? Clouds of carbon dioxide? In fact none of these. As the picture below illustrates quite plainly it was just the result of winds that emanated from the tropics and fed themselves up across the deserts of North Africa.

Another explanation is that the last three of four weeks have seen varying periods of much lowered Solar flare activity. This has frequently been cited as a trigger for unusual or extreme weather patterns, and the last few weeks seem to confirm this pattern. See the following link for more on this topic.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Unusually cold winter for southern hemisphere.

The southern hemisphere is experiencing unusually cold conditions in what is now winter for that half of the world.

In South America for example the first snow for over 90 years hit Buenos Aires the capital of Argentina. Elsewhere in South America heavy snow also swept across areas of Bolivia, Chile and Peru.

Meanwhile in Australia unsually cold air coming up from Antartica (see pic below) led to the revival of the nations ski resorts which had remained closed for numerous years for lack of snow.



South Africa is another victim. As reported elesewhere in this site - heavy snow falls covered large parts of the country and Johannensburg saw its first snow falls for nearly 30 years.

But wait a minute! Isn’t this supposed to be the era of Global Warming? So what are all these cold spells doin’? Or maybe the word hasn’t got round to the weather that it’s supposed to be hot!!!

Right, I got it! If it’s not Global Warming, then it has to be Climate Change! I mean if it ain’t one then it just gotta be the other. Right?

Turns out its neither of these. No Sir!! No Ma’am!! It ain’t neither. What it is, and what accounts for all of the above, is simply a really cold blast of air from the South Pole, the Antarctic, or whatever you like to call it. That’s as simple as it gets. No great conspiracy regarding clouds of carbon dioxide, ozone holes, or another type of hole we won’t talk about - just a plain old wind making its way up from the frozen wastes of Antarctica.

Of course there are those long on suspicion that will just drive themselves silly wondering just what it could be that might produce these winds that have resulted in such adverse conditions for many a long year. Perhaps one answer - and it seems perfectly plausible- is that recently the Sun has been exhibiting signs of lessened flare activity (see here for former topic on this issue) or this other Flare Activity.

In plain language it translates to just this - if you have a fire and turn down the heat then things get colder. And since the Sun is our only source of heat it follows that if its energy don’t quite match it’s usual output, then for awhile, things will get colder here on Earth.

Ain’t no mystery!!! Just plain old science.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Live Earth fails to convince the public.

The Live Earth concerts that took place on every continent on Earth at the weekend, ostensibly to save the planet from Climate Change, were characterised by huge public indifference. TV audiences, as well as interest in general, was disappointing and it seems that the general public have yet to be convinced by the near hysterical stream of propaganda that tries to sell the idea of Climate Change as the ultimate hazard that faces humanity at this point in time.

And why would the public be convinced when the evidence of their eyes is telling them that absolutely nothing unusual is going on. The world still continues, with the occasional hot or cold spell, and once in awhile we encounter particularly turbulent conditions, when - like as happened recently (see here for details) - nature seems to step up a gear and we get a spate of extreme weather circumstances.

However as this site has frequently illustrated these extreme events can easily be interpreted. Not it should be stressed as a consequence of swirling clouds of carbon dioxide, but simply a matter of easily explained weather phenomenon the like of which have been occurring for thousands of years. In addition there is the role played by the Sun, whose influence on this planet is paramount in maintaining life on this Earth.

See here why Solar fluctuations may have led to a recent spell of extreme weather worldwide.

Reassuringly it seems that vast numbers of the general public are struggling to see the logic of Climate Change when the evidence of their eyes says otherwise. And as this site will never tire of showing this ingrained public scepticism is extremely well founded.