The Changing Earth - Weather on Steroids
Each time there are extreme weather events, people debate "Is there a link to climate change?"
It might be hard to prove in many cases.
Some recent events, however, are extraordinary.
The phrase 'weather on steroids' has been used to describe these events.
Researchers are looking at possible links to climate change in some cases of extreme weather.
One scientist investigating this problem is Professor Jennifer Francis.
Prof Francis is interested in how the odd behaviour of the jet streams may link to the warming of the polar areas.
For example, in 2010 ......
There were some very unusual weather events in 2010, which may be a warning of future effects of climate change.
Each time there are extreme weather events, people debate "Is there a link to climate change?"
It might be hard to prove in many cases.
Some recent events, however, are extraordinary.
The phrase 'weather on steroids' has been used to describe these events.
In 2010, China and Brazil had serious droughts, and in the first part of the year the Northern Hemisphere warmed fast, melting the winter snow cover very quickly.
The picture shows the dried-up River Negro in Brazil, with a bridge in the distance.
But the biggest events were the heatwave in Russia and the flooding in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, Government officials said that from July 28 to Aug. 3, parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province recorded almost 12 feet (3.6 metres) of rainfall in one week.
The province normally averages slightly above 3 feet (around 1 metre) for an entire year.
Pakistan Floods Russian forest fire
In Russia, the heatwave went on for weeks, causing forest fires and destroying crops.
The Russian harvest was reduced in 2010, so the government stopped exports of grains.
Thanks to the Russian drought of 2010, global food prices in early 2011 were the highest since the food crisis of 1972 - 1974.
This event has been linked to the "Arab Spring" of 2011.
The link between the floods and the heatwave was a blocked jet stream.
It might be hard to prove in many cases.
Some recent events, however, are extraordinary.
The phrase 'weather on steroids' has been used to describe these events.
In 2015, Boston’s month of snow was a 1-in-26,315 year occurrence.
Yet the amount of wintertime cold air circulating around the Northern Hemisphere is shrinking to record low levels.Researchers are looking at possible links to climate change in some cases of extreme weather.
One scientist investigating this problem is Professor Jennifer Francis.
Prof Francis is interested in how the odd behaviour of the jet streams may link to the warming of the polar areas.
There were some very unusual weather events in 2010, which may be a warning of future effects of climate change.
Each time there are extreme weather events, people debate "Is there a link to climate change?"
It might be hard to prove in many cases.
Some recent events, however, are extraordinary.
The phrase 'weather on steroids' has been used to describe these events.
In 2010, China and Brazil had serious droughts, and in the first part of the year the Northern Hemisphere warmed fast, melting the winter snow cover very quickly.
The picture shows the dried-up River Negro in Brazil, with a bridge in the distance.
But the biggest events were the heatwave in Russia and the flooding in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, Government officials said that from July 28 to Aug. 3, parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province recorded almost 12 feet (3.6 metres) of rainfall in one week.
The province normally averages slightly above 3 feet (around 1 metre) for an entire year.
Pakistan Floods Russian forest fire
In Russia, the heatwave went on for weeks, causing forest fires and destroying crops.
The Russian harvest was reduced in 2010, so the government stopped exports of grains.
Image credit: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Thanks to the Russian drought of 2010, global food prices in early 2011 were the highest since the food crisis of 1972 - 1974.
This event has been linked to the "Arab Spring" of 2011.
The link between the floods and the heatwave was a blocked jet stream.
