The weather reports of late have indeed been dire. Parts of the USA have been snowed and iced up so much so that one report mentioned that the fall in temperature resulted in a similar lack of warmth conditions as have been recorded on the planet Mars. The Mail on line has some graphic pictures and news including:
On Sunday the Green Bay Packers play the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin - in temperatures approaching -20 - possibly the coldest game ever played
My niece Alison in Finland on the other hand records that whereas usually they are iced in at about this time of year with skiing and frozen lakes being the norm, 2014 there so far is quite different with so it has been reported daffodils being seen in bloom already. Walking rather than skiing or tobogganing is the unusual 2014 norm so far at least.
In England so far in 2014, there have been heavy storms and seas with huge waves beating shorelines and harbour walls. Sadly some people have died under falling trees or as in the case of a cyclist in his 70s being suddenly hit by flood water. A good part of the cycle route to Shoreham that Peter and I took only a few weeks ago in lovely sunny weather Cycling to Shoreham was by rivers which have now overflowed their banks and flooded nearby homes.
Yet I recall the Thames being frozen over at Old Windsor when a boy at Beaumont some 50 years ago. A fellow foolhardy pupil even drove a car on the ice and hooted playfully at a frozen up houseboat..
Interestingly the reports from America do not state that these dreadful weather conditions have never happened before but simply that people younger than say 40 will never have experienced them previously.
Today in Wimbledon the ground was frosty at 07:30 when going for a Sunday morning run and the sun was rising but even here there is a huge amount of water which will become more apparent when the temperature rises and the frost melts. Those living nearer rivers or seas will sadly I fear experience more damaging weather before the Spring.
Yet given the history of floods ice and poor weather generally that has affected at least the UK I am not (yet?) convinced that this is all being caused by global warming.
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