The chief scientist at the Met Office, Julia Slingo, has said that the extreme weather that has hit Britain over the winter of 2013/14 is linked to climate change.
“All the evidence suggests there is a link to climate change.”
More than 130 severe flood warning were issued in December 2013 compared to just 9 during all of 2012. According to Met Office data 4 0f the 5 top wettest years on record have all occurred since 2000.
While its true and single extreme weather evens do not by themselves prove climate change is happening, the increasing incidence rate of such events is alarming. Many of the record highs, lows, droughts and floods have been set in the last 10 years.
- 2014 and California is suffering the worst drought on record with severe flooding in the UK.
- 2013 was the 7th warmest year on record. The warmest ever was in 2010
- Autumn 2013 saw 13 major typhoons by November including Hiayan which killed over 6000 people
- August 2013 and 250,000 Sudanese were evacuated due to severe flooding
- June 2013 saw the hottest temperate ever recorded anywhere on Earth in Death Valley at 54 degC
- Summer 2013 saw the worst droughts for 50 years in north Brasil
- Jan 2013 was the hottest month ever recorded in south Australia
- June 2012 was the wettest in the UK since records began
- 1983 – 2012 was the warmest period in 1400 years
- Atmospheric CO2 levels now 39% higher than at the start of the Industrial Revolution
The IPCC has for years warned that the cost of climate change mitigation will rise steadily if we delay (or even postpone) carbon reduction measures. The £100M promised by PM David Cameron today for additional flood repairs will pretty soon look like a drop in the ocean. #NoPunIntended