Posted on 12/13/2006 7:42:05 PM PST by blam
The hottest year since 1659 spells global doom
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
Last Updated: 12:54am GMT 14/12/2006
Central England sweltered in temperatures that are likely to make this year the hottest since records began in 1659, according to a report published by meteorologists.
The findings came as the Paris based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development warned that climate change could devastate the ski resorts of Europe within a few decades.
Worldwide, the provisional figures for 2006, using data from January to November, place the year as the sixth warmest in a global record that stretches back to 1850 and around 0.42C above the 1961-1990 average.
For reasons that are not understood, the northern hemisphere has warmed more than the southern. Only days ago, another study — by the US National Centre for Atmospheric Research — predicted that the Arctic Ocean could become almost devoid of ice during summer as early as 2040.
The latest evidence of global warming in Britain is revealed by preliminary temperature figures for 2006 released by the Met Office and the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit.
One of the authors of the study, Prof Phil Jones, of UEA, warned that a climate phenomenon called El Nino is likely to push the mercury up next year so it will rival 1998, the hottest year ever recorded.
"El Nino makes the world warmer and the last big one was in 1997-1998 and we have not had a major one since then," he said.
In Britain, the temperatures recorded this year have been remarkable, said Prof Jones.
The series of temperatures for Central England set a succession of records that saw hosepipe bans and gardeners give up attempts to keep their lawns green.
Garden centres and DIY stores ran out of water butts at one stage and hundreds of towns and villages abandoned their traditional floral displays and hanging baskets.
The new figures show that not only have individual months set record temperatures but, more significantly, extended periods have also done so. Prof Jones said the margins of increase were "enormous".
Overall, 2006 saw the warmest month on record, set this July, with a mean temperature of 19.7C.
On July 19, the nation experienced a new maximum temperature for the month of 36.5C, recorded at Wisley, south-west of London.
The year also recorded the warmest September with a temperature of 16.8C.
The warmest April to October period was reported with a mean temperature of 14.6C. The warmest autumn was measured with a mean temperature of 12.6C.
Central England had the warmest ever growing season, surpassing 1959 and 1995. Scientists say the year was probably the warmest on record in central England.
The joint warmest years currently are 1990 and 1999, which recorded a mean temperature of 10.63C. With just over two weeks to the end of the year, the current mean temperature anomaly to Dec 12 is equivalent to an annual temperature of 10.84C. Prof Jones said: "This year sees the highest average temperature recorded since the Central England Temperature series began in 1659, and the rise above the average is significantly higher than that for the two hottest years we have experienced."
The Met Office scientist, David Parker, said 2006 had been "quite extraordinary with several records being broken in terms of the UK temperature".
Obvious question: Why wasn't the World doomed by the heatwave of 1649?
How can it be Global Warming when its only a regional record??
Shouldn't it be the hottest year on the planet since 1475 for it to be global warming?
I wish they would show the Greenhouse Conspiracy on PBS again... Oh what am i saying?
Take cover, everybody - we're in for it!!!
So, how did the humanity and the econsystem survive the weather prior to 1659?
Thanks, blam. So what caused all the heat in 1659? Must have been all those..., what?
Sorry, make that the 1659 heatwave.
Jean-Fraud Kerry is deeply concerned.
"So what caused all the heat in 1659? Must have been all those..., what?"
Animal flatulence.
Doomed. Also, IBBF.
Doomed. Also, IBBF.
Maybe because it has so much more land area to absorb sunlight?
oh that's right, the sun can't have anything to do with global warming, now can it?
Well if we’re all doomed we might as well party like its 2099.
And with a bumper crop of wine grapes this year it ought to be a real wing ding.
We switched from SUV's to horse and buggy.
DOOMED! DOOMED, I tells ya!
The animals were flatulating while being towed in their trailers by all those SUV's? Go figure.
We're Doomed!
I'll take it, ping
Yeah, and we're all still here after a "Global Warming" in the earth's past. Who knows how many we have survived. The whole issue of humans having ANYTHING to do with the earth "getting warmer," other than just breathing and excreting, is arrogant beyond belief.
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