Posted on 08/07/2003 6:47:09 PM PDT by HAL9000
HEAT WAVE: AFRICAN TROPICAL MONSOON IS SUFFOCATING EUROPE, SAYS CNR
(AGI) - Rome, Italy, Aug. 6 - The unbearable heat wave that is hitting Italy and much of Europe is closely tied to the particular intensity of the African tropical monsoon season. "Heavy storms in sub-Saharan Africa cause a decrease in rains and intense heat in the Mediterranean, and in particular on the northern coasts. In other words, it's as if the desert climate were suddenly shifted towards us," said Giampiero Maracchi, director of the IBIMET-CNR. Since the end of June, the quantity of rain in sub-Saharan Africa has been much higher than the seasonal averages. The meteorological equator seems to have moved north by 20 degrees, with the result that from the Atlantic there are not more storms towards Italy and Spain. In the north-western Mediterranean area, there is an area of strong pressure that impedes the formation of clouds, and consequently, storms, and transforms the Mediterranean climate to a desert one. The hot air from the sub-Saharan regions, in fact, falls in this area, which after compression, heats up and takes temperatures to elevated levels, above 40 degrees. A situations that can be considered among the five worst in the last 150 years, destined to be seen again. "Forecasts show that for the next few years and decades there will be a progressive increase of summer monsoons in western Africa, with a direct consequence of climate change and therefore a gradual decrease of storms in the western Mediterranean," said Francesco Meneguzzo, a IBIMET-CNR researcher. It is not improbable, therefore, to think that we are going towards summers with desert climates, instead of the Mediterranean ones known up to now, without naturally excluding the possibility of occasional rainy summers.
But the rapid heating of the Mediterranean Sea causes other risks for the fall in terms of floods: the eastern coasts of Spain, the northern ones in France, north Italy, Sardinia, and towns in the Alps might be hit by violent floods. The Mediterranean, in other words, might become what the Gulf of Mexico is to the U.S., that is the source of large floods. (AGI)
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In reality neither has the equator shifted nor has anyone suffocated because of the weather.
1) The abnormally cool water off the US East Coast only extends a FEW MILES offshore, and it's purely the result of upwelling caused by persistent SW winds; it's perfectly normal and I've run into quite a few people who remember it happening often in the 50s and 60s. It's a localized, small scale effect.
2) The Italians are in fact talking about the ITCZ being further North, but NOT in the Med; just further N in Africa. Normally, just North of the ITCZ it's EXTREMELY dry and hot, hence the Sahara desert in Africa.
However, if the ITCZ is further north, it's raining over the usual desert areas, and moving the hot dry area FURTHER north...to the Med.
The bright side of all of is will be areas that have had millions die of drought the last two decades (the Sahel, S edge of the Sahara) getting plenty of rain.
Umm....he's referring to the METEOROLOGICAL equator (presumably not in his first language, either) which, as mentioned, is the ITCZ. This MOVES AROUND, north in the Summer, south in the winter. Over Africa for a variety of complex reasons, it never actually gets SOUTH of the Equator; in winter it's over the Equator, and in Summer it's normally at about 10 North.
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