Weather in the general media (Newspaper features etc)

[Methuselah]

YET MORE FLOODS...AND EVEN FEARS OF FROST

http://www.express.c...-fears-of-frost

Nice day for a WET wedding: Happy couple take flooding in their stride as Britain braces for more after July rain total tops June

• After wettest June since records began July set to be worse after three times normal amount of rain fell in first eight days
• Summer washout to continue until at least Thursday
• Worst hit areas likely to experience up to 60mm of rain today
• Researchers find 50 per cent of all UK homes resorted to central heating over last four weeks
• The Hit Factory concert in Hyde Park, London, starring Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan cancelled due to poor weather

http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz20EyOKmxI

Who said that 'bad' weather isn't without some advantages?

[jethro]

We've certainly had enough in Calderdale!

The problem now is having a dry spell long enough to let the Moors above dry out to there usual summer conditions. with this 'sponge' full to overflowing and heavy shower is causing issues (as was illustrated quite well when Charlie visited last Fri and the rivers were near bursting again after an 'average' day of rain for hereabouts).

At least the wider public is being made aware of how lower ice levels in the Arctic can bring about the type of 'stuck weather patterns' we have all been experiencing over these past few years (across all seasons???).

Once folk also accept the atmosphere is also now able to hold more water (4% more than 30years ago?) then they might get a better handle on the changes we are seeing?

I feel it no longer a matter of 'how we got here' but a need to understand where 'Here' is so we can better prepare for future extremes of 'weather'.

Calderdale has a documented history of regular, and at times catastrophic flooding, dating back to at least 1615 - long before any possible changes wrought by man.

http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~calderdalecompanion/mmf39.html

[knocker]

British summer’s endless rains flows from the Arctic’s melting ice

Paul Simons, Oliver Moody

Published at 12:01AM, July 11 2012

Britain’s dismal weather could be a direct consequence of the melting of the Arctic sea-ice, according to research.

This year has been the latest in a series of wet summers, and may prove to be the worst yet. New rainfall records for April and June have already been set, and if recent conditions continue the record for rain over the course of a whole summer could also be broken.

As the sixth consecutive damp summer drags on, scientists say it could have its origins far away to the north.

Researchers at the University of Sheffield and two universities in the United States found that as the layer of ice over the Arctic Ocean retreats because of global warming, plumes of cold air are forced south. This has a knock-on effect across the planet, setting off extreme weather conditions in the middle latitudes of the northern hemisphere from America to Britain and Russia.

Just as the UK began its recent run of summer washouts, the Arctic ice started to melt away at a dramatic pace, reaching record levels of shrinkage. And that trend has continued, with a steady decline that shows little sign of halting.

Arctic sea ice is the refrigerator of the top half of the globe, helping getting rid of excess heat from the tropics into space.

With less ice, the Arctic is dangerously over-heating, and that is upsetting the balance in temperature between the Arctic and the Tropics.

That in turn has led to a weakening of the jet stream, the powerful winds between five and seven miles up in the atmosphere, driven by the clash between cold polar air and hot tropical air. As the jet stream has attenuated, it has been meandering around the northern hemisphere in big loops like a sluggish river. Those loops have left the UK and other northern European countries at the mercy of cold and wet outbreaks of weather.

Other countries are afflicted by extreme heat on the opposite side of the jet stream, such as the US which is experiencing temperatures not seen since the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s.

Professor Jennifer Francis, a climatologist at Rutgers University in New Jersey, said the loss of sea ice this spring was more dramatic than in any previous year.

“The extremes of weather this summer are likely related to melting of the Arctic sea ice,†she said. “This March saw record rate of loss and a greater area of ice loss than has ever been.

“And it’s not only the sea ice loss affecting the weather. The snow cover was so light over North America and Siberia last winter that it’s melted much earlier and so the land warmed up much earlier than normal, and that’s a pattern we’ve been seeing the past few years.â€

The extreme meandering of the jet stream has been behind many other dramatic weather events of recent years, including the phenomenal heat, drought and wildfires in Russia over the summer of 2010 that sent the jet stream on a huge detour southwards to Pakistan, causing historic and catastrophic flooding there that left more than 2,000 people dead and some 10 million displaced.

“It’s not only the weakening and weaving in the jet stream. There are more are more loops in the jet stream lying in a north-south direction, rather than the more usual east-west, and when we get this pattern, as now, the waves tend to move more slowly, so the weather tends stick around a lot longer,†Prof Francis said.

The findings coincide with new research published yesterday by the Met Office and a number of other institutions around the world proposing that man-made climate change is driving up the likelihood of freak weather conditions.

Extremes of warm and cold have become far more likely over the past 60 years, according to the study of last year’s weather. The scientists also found that the temperatures across western Europe in 2011 were almost 1.5C warmer than would have been expected from the weather patterns alone.

Dr Peter Stott, head of climate monitoring and attribution at the Met Office, said mankind had a “marked impact†on the planet’s weather.

“While we didn’t find evidence that climate change has affected the odds of all the extreme weather events we looked at, we did see that some events were significantly more likely,†he said. “Otherwise we’re seeing that human influence is having a marked impact on some types of extreme weather.â€

In a separate report published today, the Committee on Climate Change questions whether the UK will be able to cope with the heavy flooding climate change will bring to the country over the next two decades.

Funding for flood defences is being hacked back in real terms at precisely the moment when it is most needed, according to the new study.

As many as 610,000 homes across Britain could be at “significant risk†of flood damage if there is no commitment to match or better previous levels of investment. The Environment Agency currently estimates that it needs £20 million more on top of inflation just to keep up with the pace of climate change.

The independent body also found that a widespread trend for paving over gardens has made a big contribution to the increased danger of flooding. The proportion of gardens that are covered in “hard surfacing†nearly doubled from just over a quarter in 2001 to almost half in 2011.

Lord Krebs, the chair of the Adaptation Sub-Committee, said extreme weather conditions would become far more common over the coming years as climate change took its toll.

“We must take adaptation more seriously if we are to manage the growing risks of floods and droughts,†he said. “Without action by households and businesses to prepare for these inevitable weather extremes the country faces rising costs, unnecessary damage and future disruption.â€

http://www.thetimes....icle3471739.ece

Edited July 11, 2012 by knocker

[knocker]

Meteorological warfare

With reference to yesterdays article in the Times about cloud seeding. During the Vietnam War, the United States spent five years and $21.6 million seeding clouds over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in an inconclusive effort to muck up movements of heavy machinery. The New York Times exposed this in an article in 1972.

http://news.google.c...&pg=5012,867951

Edited July 11, 2012 by knocker

[Summer Sun]

BRITISH WEATHER: SUMMER HERE ‘IN AUTUMN’

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/332101/British-weather-Summer-here-in-autumn-

[Methuselah]

BRITISH WEATHER: SUMMER HERE ‘IN AUTUMN’

http://www.express.c...here-in-autumn-

By which time, the Express will be warning of -20C and severe snowstorms, in October!

[Coast]

Further flood misery expected as torrential rain forecast for sodden-UK

Three flood warnings and 26 alerts issued as 15mm of rain predicted to fall in an hour across some parts of country

Britain's rain-sodden summer shows no sign of mending its miserable ways, with another day of thunderstorms and torrential downpours expected on Wednesday.

Forecasters are predicting that up to 15mm of rain could fall in an hour in some places as the period of unseasonably wet weather that has brought flooding up and down the country drags on. The Environment Agency has three flood warnings – one in the South West and two in the Midlands – and 26 flood alerts in place across England, while the Met Office has issued an amber warning of rain for south-eastern areas of Scotland and yellow warnings across large swathes of southern and northern England.

A Met Office spokesman said: "The public should be prepared for the likelihood of localised flooding, particularly in the amber area." Gemma Plumb, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, warned that bursts of torrential rain could fall on already saturated ground, increasing the chances of flooding. "Scotland and northern England will see spells of heavy, persistent rain today and there are indications that there could be some torrential, thundery outbreaks," she said. "Elsewhere there will be showers, which could be persistent and heavy in some areas especially across southern and easterly parts of England."

Forecasters predicted rainfall totals of around 20-30mm, but said double that amount could fall in local areas. Plumb said a further band of heavy, persistent rain will move in from the south west during Thursday, increasing the flooding threat. More showers are expected in England and Wales on Friday. "The rain is falling on already saturated ground and river catchments are already at very high levels so further problems are to be expected," she added. Sunday, however, could provide some respite from the rain with drier spells forecast.

Showers hit most parts of the UK on Tuesday, causing problems to the transport network and public events, including the England cricket match in Manchester. The A35 in Dorset, which was shut due to flooding, remained closed in both directions between the A37 and A3066 this morning. One of the country's largest agricultural shows was also cancelled after just a day because of the appalling weather. The annual Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate began on Tuesday and was due to run until Thursday but organisers decided to pull the plug after one day.

A spokeswoman for the £2.2m event said: "It is extremely upsetting because of all the tremendous hard work and disappointment which has gone into the organising, as well as the great disappointment for visitors." The recent rainy weather has also forced the government and Olympic organisers to draw up contingency plans to deal with the inclement British summer, following a series of meetings to predict the extent to which London 2012 could be adversely affected by the dismal conditions

http://www.guardian....k?newsfeed=true

[Summer Sun]

England flood risk to rise fourfold by 2035-report

http://uk.news.yahoo...56--sector.html

Thunderstorms to create more misery

http://uk.news.yahoo...-180529529.html

Blame the melting ice! Our dismal summer weather can be blamed on a dramatic shift in the Arctic as forecasters warn of a July washout

• Four flood warnings still in place across UK, along with 25 flood alerts
• Experts warn that melting Arctic sea ice has sent plumes of cold air south, causing extreme weather in northern hemisphere
• Jet stream is further south than it should be for this time of year meaning Britain is under a blanket of low pressure
• Public should be prepared for 'localised flooding' experts warn
• Heavy persistent rain and thundery outbreaks expected across Scotland and northern England

http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz20JQoYZj0

[Village]

LOL

Now they are blaming everything on us.

[Methuselah]

LOL

Now they are blaming everything on us.

I thought they were blaming it on the 'rapidly melting ice' Mr V??

[Summer Sun]

BBC reporting over the next 20 years the weather could get worse

Weather could get worse over next 20 years

http://www.bbc.co.uk...onment-18793182

[shedhead]

It's certainly coming to something when Arctic Greenland BGSF 111520Z AUTO 09008KT 9999NDV NCD 21/04 Q1008 is 5c warmer than central England EGBB 111450Z 30011KT 9999 FEW042 16/09 Q1010

[Summer Sun]

Purple rain! It may be gloomy but weeks of downpours have turned Britain's lavender fields a spectacular shade of violet

• Met Office has issued a yellow warning across parts of England
• Fears grow that weather could affect Olympic relay in Wiltshire and Dorset
• Christchurch saw two inches of rain in just THREE hours
• By yesterday, Edinburgh had seen just 1.6hrs of sunshine so far this month
• Woman, her two children and their dog had to be rescued in Surrey
• Organisers call off the three-day Great Yorkshire Show because of rain

http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz20QRbz2Uu

[Summer Sun]

Why has it been so wet in the UK?

BBC Science Editor David Shukman takes a look at what's behind the recent spell of wet weather.

http://www.bbc.co.uk...atures/18821920

[Summer Sun]

Going for gold: Sun to shine in time for Olympics

http://www.thesun.co...r-Olympics.html

[Summer Sun]

A (BRIEF) BURST OF SUMMER

http://www.express.c...burst-of-summer

A weekend of two halves: Forecasters warn of more rain on Saturday but at last the sun is set to shine on Sunday

http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz20bokhdiu

[Summer Sun]

BBC weather for the week ahead

[Summer Sun]

At Last! Sunny Weather On The Way For UK?

Britain's miserable summer weather could be coming to an end - just in time for the school holidays and the Olympics, according to forecasters.

Weather experts believe the jet stream, which has been blamed for the recent damp and cold spell, may move north this weekend, allowing more settled, warmer weather to move into the southern half of the country.

The Atlantic jet stream acts like a wall, separating wet and windy weather to the north from settled, sunny conditions to the south.

In a good summer, the jet stream sits to the north of Britain, shielding us from inclement weather towards the North Pole.

Sky weather presenter Jo Wheeler said: "The blame for the current dismal summer has been laid squarely at the foot of the jet stream which is far further south than we’d expect at this time of year.

"This has left Britain and Ireland at the mercy of active frontal systems coming off the Atlantic, and continues to do so.

"The hope is, that the jet stream will move further north, allowing high pressure to build in the south which will give us some defence against changeable conditions.

"There was some hope that that would happen this week, but it didn't. And that shows how difficult it is to forecast.

"However, there are further indications to suggest that the coming weekend will see an improvement, at least over southern parts of the country."

News of better weather will be welcomed by wildlife experts, who have warned cold, wet weather of the past few months has been "almost apocalyptic" for the UK's wildlife, experts have said.

The National Trust has said birds, bats, butterflies, bees, amphibians and wildflowers have struggled to survive in the exceptionally wet conditions.

The only winners during the wettest April to June on record have proved to be slugs and snails which have thrived in many gardens.

Gardeners have also had to battle to keep their fast-growing lawns mown.

http://news.sky.com/story/960631/at-last-sunny-weather-on-the-way-for-uk

[Weather Boy]

"There was some hope that that would happen this week, but it didn't. And that shows how difficult it is to forecast.

Eh? That passed me by.

Tehnically, though, it has already moved north. It was over central Europe, with us on its northern flank, now it's over the southern half of England and Wales with HP over France.

I don't think it was ever progged to be completely out of the way by now.

[Jason T]

Crazy

Weather Forecasters to Be Fined for Inaccuracies?

16th July 2012

Dutch councillors want to fine their weather forecasters for false predictions because they say tourism is being negatively affected.

Dutch councillors want to fine weather forecasters for false predictions.

''Last week it was really good weather over most of the country but the weather forecasts were full of heavy rain and thunderstorms, so people stayed home.''

The local government officials believe their weather forecasters have recently been inaccurately predicting poor weather, including heavy rain and thunderstorms, on too many occasions and it is impacting negatively on seaside resorts.

Joep Thonissen, head of Recron, the Dutch tourist attraction association, is frustrated that the reports are badly affecting tourism in the country.

He said: ''Last week it was really good weather over most of the country but the weather forecasts were full of heavy rain and thunderstorms, so people stayed home.''

0

[cyclonic happiness]

Crazy

Weather Forecasters to Be Fined for Inaccuracies?

16th July 2012

Dutch councillors want to fine their weather forecasters for false predictions because they say tourism is being negatively affected.

Dutch councillors want to fine weather forecasters for false predictions.

''Last week it was really good weather over most of the country but the weather forecasts were full of heavy rain and thunderstorms, so people stayed home.''

The local government officials believe their weather forecasters have recently been inaccurately predicting poor weather, including heavy rain and thunderstorms, on too many occasions and it is impacting negatively on seaside resorts.

Joep Thonissen, head of Recron, the Dutch tourist attraction association, is frustrated that the reports are badly affecting tourism in the country.

He said: ''Last week it was really good weather over most of the country but the weather forecasts were full of heavy rain and thunderstorms, so people stayed home.''

0

Will that apply to politicians too, who predict economical recover and high wages, better hospitals etc?

Madness!

[ZONE 51]

That's like fining someone for not driving in a straight line on a very bendy road the weather is so changeable it would not be right to make fines for wrong forecasts.

[swebby]

This is currently being run as the 3^rd story on the BBC news page below the G4S olympic fiasco and the shropshire tradegy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18867168

It is being run above Syria’s possible use of chemical weapons, a staffing crisis at the UK border agency and a surprise drop in UK inflation.

Tis a long way off – hope they don’t jinx it!

[sebastiaan1973]

Being Dutch I read those stories of course a couple of days ago. It was a more or less commercial initiative to focus on the nice weather at the coast.

[Summer Sun]

RAIN DESTROYS COAST ROAD

http://www.express.c...roys-coast-road

TV WEATHERMEN JUST ‘PUT DAMPER ON THINGS’

WEATHER presenters were yesterday accused of putting people off visiting Britain’s resorts with their gloomy forecasts. Tourism chief Malcolm Bell said TV forecasters are “obsessed†with rain, and create a negative image always filming in downpours.

http://www.express.c...mper-on-things-

Look on the sunny side of life! Tourism boss says weathermen are obsessed with rain... as summer goes down the plughole

• Visit Cornwall chief Malcolm Bell says weather presenters delight in highlighting the bad days and ignoring dry and sunny spells
• He hits out at forecasters for seeming to be 'obsessed' with making holidaymakers 'even more depressed'

http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz20sSjQqFB

Bad weather causes a hole load of problems

http://www.thesun.co...astal-road.html