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Yes, we have had cold summer in Eastern part of Europe and heatwaves in Western Europe. Both are indirect result of climate change. Indirect because this summe
by chewz 7y ago
Yes, we have had cold summer in Eastern part of Europe and heatwaves in Western Europe. Both are indirect result of climate change.
Indirect because this summer had been result of jetstream change - the same circulation that had been sucking hot air to Western Europe had been also blowing cooled air into Eastern Europe.
Actually it was fascinating to watch circulation daily...
Try https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/500hPa/orthographic=30.27,48.78,1459 https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/500hPa/o...
Unfortunately jetstream is still poorly understood and scientists debate results of changes in jetstream. There was a popular and well explained article in Financial Times.
As it is behind paywall...
> The impact of the jet stream on climate change, and whether it will shift in the future, is hotly debated by scientists. It is seen as one of the central issues that will determine how weather patterns across western Europe, in particular, will shift as the planet heats up.
> “This is a critically important part of climate science, and one of the least well understood,” says Prof Williams. “We know the climate is getting warmer, and this is settled by now, but it is the consequences of that warming — like the jet stream — that we are just starting to explore.”
> “We think the rapidly warming Arctic is making these wavy patterns happen more often, and as a result we are seeing weather patterns themselves become much more persistent,” she [ Jennifer Francis, senior scientist at Woods Hole Research Centre] adds, meaning that weather such as heat or storms can be trapped in place for longer.
> Other scientists predict the opposite could happen: climate change could cause the jet stream to get stronger and move toward the poles. Atmospheric models — the complex simulations that run on supercomputers and forecast long-term weather and climate — tend to support this view.
https://www.ft.com/content/591395fe-b761-11e9-96bd-8e884d3ea203 https://www.ft.com/content/591395fe-b761-11e9-96bd-8e884d3ea...
- aivisol 7y agoThank you for your detailed explanation. The visualisation you mentioned (by nullschool.net) is what I use regularly, however, without much understanding of climate dynamics.
- chewz 7y agoToday we are back to normal West to East flow hence clouds, storms and rains. But during heatwave we had sort of omega shape (circulation) flow sucking hot air from Africa right up North (more or less France-West Germany) going up to Nordkap and returning South with cooled air. Watch air movement at 500 or 850 with temp or humidity overlay... I am not that smart myself. ICM UW has very enlightening daily commentaries. https://www.meteo.pl/komentarze/index1.php https://www.meteo.pl/komentarze/index1.php