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".
I'm just hoping we all die before I get those "after Christmas" credit card statements.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
There were no ski resorts in Europe at the time.
"We don't have time for questions; please move on folks..."
The Medieval Warm Period was a time of amazing prosperity.
So: what are we worried about? If it gets really warm, we can move from Central Africa to Antarctica.
OK, here it is .......
The morons who wrote this story had a misleading title. In the article, no where does it say that 1659 was a hot year. If you look at the graph at the original article you will see that it is not even in the top 10.
Their new muslim masters prefer warm climates anyway.
Title should actually read "1959", not 1659.
Does this mean that Europe will cease to exhist?
"LOOKS LIKE MEAT'S BACK ON THE MENU BOYS!
In the sixth paragraph, the writer contradicts the headline; the hottest year on record happened during the '90's. Do we exist or is our existence some mere existential dream?
Do weathermen exist or can you do it with a coin? I bet on you. Last year, the weather weenies predicted a bunch of hurricanes for us here in Florida - we got diddly. That's ok with me, don't mis-understand my sentiment.
The funniest answer to this was on the Drew Carry show when he is standing in his back yard while it's snowing spraying cans of hairspray into the air and yelling, "Global Warming my ass!!! I want it warm now!!!"
"So what caused all the heat in 1659? Must have been all those..., what?"
'Animal flatulence.'
~~
Now, in 2006, we have record setting temps due to Gore-bot flatulence!
What tripe! Real scientists would have checked the data rather than present bald supposition.
It WAS doomed! All those people died, 100% mortality. Not a single person alive when it started survived more than 60 or 70 years. Nothing worse than a slow lingering death.
The temperature records began in 1659, and the current year is the hottest on record -- but this doesn't mean it was hotter in 1659, just that it was that year temperatures began being recorded. Or am I misreading this? (If memory serves, 1659 was during the Little Ice Age, and temperatures were much cooler than they are now.)
Time for me to buy that Corvette and go out with a bang - eh?
Just one curious question...which a historian might readily ask. During the mini-freeze era of 1350 to 1750...this heat year occurs....why? It would sure be interesting to note what all occurred that year (volanic activity, sun spots, etc)....but I guess the global warming scientists are too busy to ask and answer this question.
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