uptown47 said:
I know that parts of the States regularly suffer hurricanes and the like but it certainly "seems" like there are a lot more extreme weather phenomena happening this year than usual.
Between floods / fires / hurricanes etc?
Is this a real perception based on peoples real experiences who live in these places? Or is this just because our news channels in the UK are focussing on it more?
I can't speak for the folks Stateside but yes, on the East Atlantic side we are definitely more focused on it, but there is good reason to be. I posted this back on Page 3 of this thread...
Geospark said:
...Global warming "experts" are suggesting that this phenomenon, of storms retaining there cyclonic structure and power as they drift east across the Atlantic towards Europe, will become more frequent. I do hope they are incorrect, but it's hard to ignore certain facts which do facilitate this occurring more frequently in the future. For instance, notably warmer Atlantic sea temperatures and sea air which have also been detected more easterly than before. This has resulted in a more easterly centric origin for many of these tropical cyclones. Coupled also with the detection of less wind shear they say that these factors primarily aided Ophelia in maintaining hurricane strength winds so far east. Historically these hurricane strength winds would normally have abated long before they would hit more easterly European shores. I can see merit in their reasoning but one storm is only one statistical data point. If we can say it's been roughly 50 years since the last major event here then let's see how long before the next...
Unfortunately, and similar to Ron's reawakening of this thread, one year later we likewise are potentially facing another Red Alert weather event heading our way this Friday - Storm "Callum"...
It hasn't been officially named that yet as the system is still building in the Atlantic, but we're currently on Yellow Alert for Thursday night/Friday morning. Again, 150mph winds expected but they predict only off our West Coast - we're to the South East. But the track could change as we all know and then we're into Red Alert. Temperatures here today are up to 21°C for October which is very unusual for this time of year. It's only predicted to be a Storm level event, but still it's serious enough for us to be seeing another event so soon after Hurricane Ophelia.
I've also read today that there's also the potential for the remains of Hurricane Leslie to track down from the North after Storm Callum, hitting us on Saturday. But that predictive model is not certain enough yet and if it does hit us, it's expected to be "only" Storm level at most as well.
My concern is how long might it be before these large Atlantic systems stop abating to Storm levels before hitting European shores? What if they start rising more and more Easterly, hitting us at full ferocity?
That's now only 1 year between the last 2 statistical data points for us, compared to 50 years between the last 2 major weather events. The signs are not good, not good at all.
Regards,
George