Extreme Rain Link To Global Warming

Scientists running sophisticated computer models are beginning to link increased greenhouse gasses - caused by man's burning of fossil fuels - with increased rainfall events.

"The British study focused on flooding in England and Wales in the fall of 2000. The disaster cost more than $1.7 billion in insured damages and was the wettest autumn for the region in more than 230 years of record-keeping. Researchers found that global warming more than doubled the likelihood of that flood occurring."

Amazon Drought Link To Global Warming

The trees and vegetation of the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil soak up massive amounts of CO2 - a greenhouse gas responsible for global warming - but also release massive amounts when they die. Two major droughts there in 2005 and 2010 have caused the Amazon to be a source of CO2 not a sink, potentially fueling further global warming.

"The combined emissions caused by the two droughts were probably enough to have canceled out the carbon absorbed by the forest over the past 10 years, the study found."

Wet Weather And Floods - Global Warming Or Not?

2010 is likely to be on par with the warmest years on record, and whilst a warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor, La Nina is likely to be the cause of the latest Australian floods.

"Scientists have emphasised that none of the three extreme weather events occurring now can be linked directly to global warming. Two of them, the floods in Australia and Sri Lanka, may be connected with a naturally occurring climatic phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, called La Niña, whereas the landslides in Brazil are the result of heavy, localised downpours falling on badly constructed homes built precariously on steep hillsides.

It is almost certain that La Niña is behind the Queensland floods. La Niña, which means "little girl", is a change in the Pacific Ocean where a body of relatively cold water wells up over the equatorial region, causing a corresponding build-up of warm water in the western regions near Indonesia and Australia.

This warm water usually dissipates to the east in non-La Niña years. This year, however, is the strongest La Niña since 1974, and the warm water around Australia and Indonesia, with nowhere to escape, has generated heavy rain clouds that have burst over Queensland.

In 1974, when Queensland also suffered heavy flooding, La Niña was stronger then than at any time on record. Sri Lanka remained dry that time, but this time there is evidence that some of the warm moist air has blown further west, just nudging Sri Lanka into torrential downpours, according to Adam Scaife, head of long-range forecasting at the Met Office.

"Rainfall is expected to increase in a warmer world but in this case it's linked with the La Niña cycle. It's a natural cycle and we don't expect it to change in the future. This is not a climate-change issue, it's La Niña, and it's happened before and will happen again," Dr Scaife said.

Equally, the rain around Rio is associated with a typical weather system in the South Atlantic. Here the issue has centred on the lack of urban planning." Independent newspaper.

2010 Record For Natural Disasters

"Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, blizzards, landslides and droughts killed at least a quarter million people in 2010 — the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined...."

Link Between Global Warming and Cold, Snowy, UK Winters

Scientists believe there could be a link between the melting Arctic ice and freezing weather in UK and Northern Europe, as wind and air patterns are altered.

2010 Hottest Year Globally

It is possible the position might change when the final figures for November and December have been factored in, although analysis has already shown that November temperatures for the world were running at "near record levels", the WMO said.

Releasing the figures at the UN Climate Conference in Cancun, Mexico, the WMO said the global combined sea surface and land surface air temperature for 2010 (January-October) "is currently estimated at 0.55C (0.99F) above the 1961-1990 annual average of 14C (57.2F)".

It added: "At present, 2010's nominal value is the highest on record, just ahead of 1998 (January-October anomaly 0.53C) and 2005 (0.52C)."

The WMO's official judgement is cautious, saying merely that "the year 2010 is almost certain to rank in the top three warmest years since the beginning of instrumental climate records in 1850."

However, even if this year's final position is not beyond doubt, it is already certain that the past decade is the hottest 10-year period in the instrumental record. "Over the 10 years from 2001 to 2010, global temperatures have averaged 0.46°C above the 1961-90 average, 0.03°C above the 2000-09 mean, and the highest value yet recorded for a 10-year period," the WMO said - The Independent.

2010 Officially Hottest Year On Record

Despite being one of the coldest winters in the UK for many years, 2010 has been half a degree Celsius warmer globally than the 30 year average, equal to 1998, which was the warmest year since records began. In 1998, El Nino actually made the world warmer, whereas 2010 has been influenced by La Nina, which should have had a cooling effect. The data is supported by The UK Met Office, The US National Weather Service and NASA.

A-Z of Global Warming Book Teaser Trailer

Arctic Sea Ice Loss Update Video

Osama Bin Laden Goes Green

New Osama Bin Laden tape surfaces in which Bin Laden discusses climate change and greenhouse gases - "The number of victims caused by climate change is very big," he expounds on the tape, "bigger than the victims of wars."

PanSTARRS Telescope Discovers Near Earth Asteroid

The newly operational PanSTARRS Telescope has discovered an asteroid which will come within 4 million miles of Earth in mid October. The asteroid, some 150 feet in diameter was only discovered on September 16th, a bit worrying considering the telescope has only been operational since June 2010

SpaceGuard Near Earth Object Watch

Spaceguard is the UK's only facility which looks out for asteroids or comets which have the potential to end all civilization on planet Earth. Take a look at the video, and visit the Centre based in Wales, UK.

Lizzie Gillett Video/ 10/10 director

Arctic Sea Ice Loss

This year's Arctic summer ice melt was rapid, but didn't beat 2007s record loss, scientists' at the National Snow and ice Data find. The ice is now re-freezing for the winter season.

Earth Reminded of Asteroid Threat

Astronomers picked up two near Earth asteroids only days before they passed Earth on Wednesday 9th September, one only 50,000 miles away, around one fifth of the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

Global Catastrophe Follows If Next Climate Summit Fails.

The next round of climate talks are due to take place in Cancun, after the failiure of the Copenhagen talks, as scientists predict the world will warm by a potentially dangerous 3.5 degrees by the end of the century, 1.5 degrees over the 'safe' limit.


"A month ago, in its annual State of the Climate report, published in conjunction with the UK Met Office's Hadley Centre, America's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) listed 10 separate indicators of a warming planet, seven of them rising – ranging from air temperature over land and humidity to sea level – and three of them declining: Arctic sea-ice, glaciers, and spring snow cover. "The scientific evidence that our world is warming is unmistakable," NOAA said.

Massive Ice-sheet Breaks Free From Greenland

A massive ice sheet, 100 square miles in size has broken free from the Petermann glacier in Greenland, the largest glacier to break from the Arctic since 1962. It's unclear whether the event is linked to global warming, but the first six months of this year have been the hottest on record globally ... coincidence?... maybe.

A-Z of Global Warming

For a comprehensive guide on all the latest news and facts on global warming and climate change, read the A-Z of Global Warming, out now. From the Amazon Rain-forest, Bio-fuels, Carbon Dioxide to Population growth, The Sun and Temperature, the book provides everything you need to know about the subject.

January - June 2010 Globally Hottest On Record

Gobal land and sea temeperatures for the period January to June 2010 have been the hottest on record. Data goes back to 1880. June was also the warmest June on record at 1.22 degrees F above the 20th Century average.

Global Warming and Plankton Loss

Scientists think that the ocean's Plankton has actually decreased by 40% over last century, with most of the loss occuring since the 1950's, possible the biggest change to the global biosphere in modern times ...

Plankton Across World's Oceans Decline

Tiny marine animals, called Phytoplankton which inhabit the world's oceans are in steady decline ( about 1% a year ) as the oceans warm, thought to be caused as a result of global warming. A bit worrying, when one considers that the Plankton produce 50% of the oxygen we breath ...

Global Warming and Migration

Global warming is likely to increase Mexican - US migration. As higher temperatures in Mexico cause more crops to fail, millions of Mexicans are likely to migrate to the USA, a new study finds.

Earth Observation Hub to Monitor Earth From Space

The UK will monitor the Earth from space using satellites to track environmental data such as deforestation, global warming, greenhouse gases and marine pollution.

Greenland Glaciers

One of Greenland's largest glaciers retreats a mile in 1 day, researchers establish using satellites to monitor the region.

Sun Set To Warm Up

NASA has confirmed that the sun will warm up during its current solar cycle, with solar flares threatening electronic equipment here on Earth. For more information on the sun and its relationship with global warming, see Chapter S- The A-Z of Global Warming.