ribster

As with my earlier post, I would be interested in going further back than that, i.e. 500, 1000, 2000 years, but alas we can't. By just looking at such a tiny snippet of time, I don't think you get an accurate picture at all.

While the statistics/records undeniably show the current picture and trend, in terms of a history of the planets weather, they show but the merest blink in weather history terms. I would be far more interested to know the climate story for 1000 years ago, 5000 years ago etc. Once we get to having that level of records/statistics we will know much more and possibly be able to suggest what's around the corner - of course there will always be exceptions to the rule.

I'm sure there are many times throughout history where man has asked himself if winters are disappearing, I certainly don't think it's a case of reaching an end point, and that's it, no more winters. I think we may be stuck with it for a while, maybe a number of years of this cycle yet and then it will go the other way again. After all we are around for such a short period of time, it's hard to evaluate.

Perhaps the 'current' backdrop of warming, but that's not always going to be the case. Time will tell who's right and who's wrong.

Oh, teits has beaten me to it, was going to say East Anglia from an easterly!

Don't think it's over by a long shot, I think things may turn cold and wintry again around the 16th.

In a word no. Also, not that I believe in man-made global warming, but with the meto suggesting that we will plateau over the next few years, would suggest better potential for the upcoming few winters. If of course they have that right, and we haven't only plateaued but start to cool

Indded, they did say that there wa a 1 in 8 chance of record temperatures being reached, similar to or surpassing 2006.

I love Christmas and I possibly love snow even more. A white christmas = heaven, absolutely magical! Opening presents, siting in the armchair looking out the window across the countryside and watching the snow fall - wonderful.

There endeth the lesson! ....and people wonder why I get annoyed

Blimey, a few bah humbug poo pooer posts in here already, don't know why they bothered. Hopefully every chance of a white christmas, and I'm sure we wil see at least a few more before I drop off the planet, to suggest otherwise is ridiculous.

Well I'm liking TWOs autumn forecast.....

And if it ends up exactly like that you can have my Decembers pay packet!

Nice memories from Kerry there, most snow I ever remember seeing was in Jan 87 - village was cut off for two weeks. Also seem to remember rather deep snow on valentines day 79? But as for wishing for snow/severe cold and it's consequences, it doesn't really matter does it - just a preference or not. Whether we wish for it or not has absolutely no bearing on what will actually happen. Bit like when I was in the forces, on one hand you wanted the opportunity to put your training into practice - i.e. a war, on the other you of course didn't want a war because people die. But again, wishing one way or the other had no bearing on the matter.

That's all it is though, a forecast - I don't think summer panned out as they expected! Be fair though SB, they did not expect it to be that wet! What they actually said: The latest seasonal forecast from the Met Office, updated today, still indicates that this summer is likely to be warmer than average. Following the trend set throughout 2006 and the first part of 2007, seasonal forecasters say there is a high probability that summer temperature will exceed the 1971-2000 long-term average of 14.1 °C. Current rainfall indications suggest that over the summer as a whole southern parts of the UK are more likely to experience average or below-average rainfall, while the north is more likely to see average or above-average rainfall. Wasn't anywhere near below average rainfall here, a million miles away in fact! So when they say for example, average or below average rainfall for Autumn I take it with a pinch of salt.

Do you have to throw a spoiler in so quickly, still savouring that picture! Not only that, it's a forecast, that snow is there now!

Fantastic, that picture puts a smile on my face, sad isn't it! Talking of SAD, there seems to be talk of this on the forum. I believe I suffer in the summer, had just put it down to being a moody kid when I was younger. But I love the cold dark winter months, strange I know - I can't help it!

Hi Mr. Sleet, thanks I didn't know that, for me it puts current debates in perspective. Also nice to see developments in Svalbard :lol:

Don't really disagree with any of that SF, just the language sometimes, although you are not alone in that.... Thanks for the clarification regarding the 2003 plateau suggestion.

How can anyone answer that, the 'facts' are not known about the millions of years of climate that this planet has been through, long before man even existed. No one can possibly know what will be happening in 1000 years, or what factors might be at play at that time. You do argue your point with such vigour that I do worry about you. If you want a serious scientific/academic debate on the weather/GW I would have thought there were better places than this, rather than launching into amateurs on this forum. I would have thought your obvious talents better used on a forum of academic/scientific equals. To use a footballing analogy, it's a bit like Thierry Henry playing with the local village football team. I don't know anything about the above. I made a simple post about the METO suggesting that temps were to plateau over the next few years (the link to the article can be found above). Not my claim, but theirs based on scientific research. Or are you refuting what they say, accepting the science when it suits, but rejecting it when it doesn't?

SF, I don't know why you are arguing the point about plateauing, the METO themselves make the claim, not anyone on here. Of course whether that turns out to be the case and what happens after remains to be seen.

Couldn't agree more on the nature of what the forum should be about. I don't care what resources or tools someone has at their disposal, they can only make predictions, they cannot know without question, what will be happening in 100, 500 or 1000 years time. Yes, we appear to be warming for now, and the reasons for that are far from clear, no more to be said than that. Magpie, I don't want to be rude, but we would have got the message without quoting the entire post like that, bit of a waste of space and scrolling really.

Very nice post mate, nicely put.

Hi Carinth, thanks for that, much appreciated. Just curious as to whether the whole lot could melt (or be substantially reduced anyway), and then reform as things cool again.