Weather Story: Too Hot This Winter

• March 22nd, 2007
• Posted by EUEditor

The evident impacts of global warming have given Europe one of its warmest Winters for a century. The Winter has been fighting a weak rearguard action with some fitful snowfalls and hailstorms in Northern regions this week, but the main figures are in.
Some startling figures from the British Met Office match general European trends for 2007.
Results at the end of February give a mean temperature of 5.47 °C for the three months, the second warmest on the UK national record dating back to 1914.
Temperatures were above average for each month, likewise rainfall and also periods of sunshine. This record “follows a trend of very warm temperatures over the last year; many records have been broken and the last 12 months … has been the warmest period in the last 348 years …”, the meteorologists said.

People in the street in Europe don’t like it.

Warm Winters for one thing tend to be wet; the extra bit of sunshine does not replace those crisp, predictable clear days after snow.

There is also the “global warming” effect, causing fear for the future.

Talking about town, it seems almost anybody approached in March 2007, if at all inclined to notice the weather, will agree to being somewhat “worried”.

Reference: Met Office, http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2007/pr20070227.htm (20.3.07)