Extreme Weather Brings Flood Chaos Round The World

New Scientist ^ | 7-30-2007

[blam]

Extreme weather brings flood chaos round the world

18:40 30 July 2007
NewScientist.com news service
New Scientist Environment and Reuters

People in countries across the world, from China to India and Sudan to Indonesia, are coping with severe wet weather, highlighting the position of flooding as the most deadly of all natural disasters.

While single events cannot be linked to climate change, the flooding come as research suggests that global warming will increase rainfall in some parts of the world, including the Indian monsoon, and increase the number of hurricanes – both due increased evaporation in a warmer world.

One person in 10 worldwide, including one in eight city-dwellers, lives less than 10 metres above sea-level and near the coast. This is an "at-risk zone" for flooding and stronger storms exacerbated by climate change, a recent study found.

China

Deaths from floods, lightning and landslides across the world's most populous nation this summer have reached nearly 700, Chinese state media said on Monday. One tenth of China's 1.3 billion people have been effected, and economic losses are estimated at 52.5 billion yuan ($7 billion).

In the last two days alone, fierce storms and hail killed 17 people across four provinces. Ten died in the central province of Hubei, where rain and hail have added to swollen waters along the country's longest river, the Yangtze (where flood warnings have been installed) and its main tributary, the Han. In the north-western province of Shaanxi, five died in floods that cut off roads around Shangluo.

A hail storm on Saturday hit parts of the eastern province Anhui, killing one person and injuring three. In the same region, millions of residents have been grappling with the threat of the swollen Huai River for the past month.

[blam]

I think I read somewhere recently that rain has a cooling effect on the earth. Or, was it increased clouds that cause more rain that reflects more sunlight?

[Dog]

We are DOOMED!

[cripplecreek]

We’ve had a cool dry summer in my little corner of Michigan. Getting some heat this week but it’s to be expected.

[G Larry]

Please note that much of this “extreme weather” is inconsistent with “Global Warming”.

[frankenMonkey]

Yeah.

How come all the suposed changes are bad, never any upside to global warming?
I'm thinking farming in the arctic circle can't be all bad...

[ari-freedom]

wator vapor is a greenhouse gas
also see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_forcing

[ari-freedom]

I think the biggest problem is if the ice caps melt and sea level rises, many cities will be flooded.

[P-40]

While single events cannot be linked to climate change, the flooding come as research suggests that global warming will increase rainfall in some parts of the world

It also came after they arrested that blond bimbo for drunk driving. That is probably the cause right there.

[LibLieSlayer]

Two weeks ago, the results from a US study centered in Greenland were announced. 100,000 year-old ice core samples proved that during that period, when Earth was 9 degrees average above today’s levels (today we are supposedly 1/2 degree warmer), the Greenland Ice Cap did not melt. All other data from around the world shows no rise in sea levels during that period. Like much of the gloBULL warming tripe... it does not hold up under scrutiny.

LLS

[cripplecreek]

Sounds like a rise of about 3 feet tops. Granted it would be problematic but considering the fact that it would happen over 100 or 200 years it wouldn’t be an insurmountable task to protect the cities.

Ice already floating on the oceans will have no effect. That leaves Antarctica and Greenland. Since the ice on Greenland has created a basin that would take thousands of years to rebound (like the Canadian shield) most of that ice would remain in the form of a large lake. That leaves the ice on the land mass of Antarctica.

Global warming and cooling are a natural process but the Goreboids want to create a panic in hopes of bringing the world to a state of global socialism.

[cripplecreek]

Think of the saved shipping costs of a wide open north pole. Also the Canadians could open a major shipping port on Hudson bay.

[ari-freedom]

but is it melting today? The general trend does seem to show it is. you have to be careful with the assumptions involved in dealing with the unobserved past...we have enough problems with the observed present.

[DJ MacWoW]

Global warming extremes are a lie. The earth gets warmer, the earth gets cooler. It’s been doing it for centuries, millenia, since the beginning of time.

[ari-freedom]

I don’t necessarily disagree with that. I just don’t see how someone can say you can have warming without some melting along with it.

[DJ MacWoW]

Except for your post 7. It isn’t going to happen. The earth isn’t going to flood. In the 70’s they were warning us of another ice age. Disasters are trendy for liberals. It also gives the liberal Dems more socialist type control. And they like control.

[qam1]

but is it melting today? The general trend does seem to show it is. you have to be careful with the assumptions involved in dealing with the unobserved past...we have enough problems with the observed present.

You are falling for the old show you the small part that supports their position while hiding the much larger one that refutes it trick.

No Greenland is not melting, it's actually gaining ice

From the European Space Agency ERS altimeter survey shows growth of Greenland Ice Sheet interior

Greenland ice-sheet elevation change in cm/year (see colour scale) derived from 11 years of ERS-1/ERS-2 satellite altimeter data, 1992-2003, excluding some ice-sheet marginal areas (white). +5.4 cm/year, or ~5 cm/year when corrected for bedrock uplift.

[ari-freedom]

that’s really cool! (no pun intended)

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Talked over the China flooding this last weekend with some friends here in Shanghai. Turns out the grandmother (who just turned 88 and still climbs the stairs to her apartment on the 9th floor! Refuses to use the elevator and is damn fit for a 65 year old, let alone an 88 year old!) recalls that every 5-6 years China has massive rain storms in the south that kill a lot of people. At least that’s been the history she can remember over the last 80 years.

What’s different is that the south - especially in the Guangdong province - is much more populous than 20 years ago, so more people are affected. But the flooding of the Huai, Yangtze, Yellow, Huangpu, and most other major rivers is a fairly common occurance. It’s one of the reasons the Chinese built the 3 Gorges dam - control flooding in the Northeast.

As are the impressive thunderstorms, like the one that rolled through yesterday afternoon. One of the most powerful thunderstorms I’ve ever seen, and it sprang to life in 5 minutes, raged for an hour (including 60 kph winds and 6 cm of rain), then in 5 minutes went away to nothing - calm air, sunny skies, etc.

[LibLieSlayer]

It is shrinking in diameter but increasing faster in depth.

LLS

[gbs]

Did you read the article about the Russian mini sub that was going to plant a Titanium tipped pole and flag at the North Pole on the sea bottom to claim that as Russian Territory! Only problem is the Ice is so thick that they are having a problem getting there! And I thought it had all melted!!! LOL