Are the UK floods a result of Global warming?

Answer 1

Global warming leads to increased rates of evaporation which increases the POTENTIAL for rainfall. Global warming ALSO leads to an increase of the dew point, the saturation level of the atmosphere which DECREASES rainfall. Overall, rainfall has a net cooling effect on surface temperatures. So globally, if there is increased rainfall, then there will be a DECREASE in global temperatures. Otherwise, you are simply talking about the normal rainfall fluctuations of some rain here, less rain there on any given day.

So, no, it doesn't make sense to assume that the UK floods are a result of Global Warming unless rainfall is increasing everywhere. In which case, hooray! Global Warming is OVER!

Answer 2

It's not possible to blame a specific event on global warming. What we can do is to look at trends and when we do that we see that globally there has been an increase in the amount of rainfall, this correlates with the increasing temperatures and is exactly what we would expect to see.

The number of adverse flooding events in the UK and Europe has rocketed in the past few decades. The flooding we've witnessed in the last month should occur once every 160,000 years. And if, as is almost certain, the flooding worsens tomorrow (Tuesday) then it will push that figure closer to once in a million years.

In recent years there has been extensive flooding in York, Selby, Sheffield, Doncaster, Glasgow, Carlisle, London, Boscastle, Hull and now of course throughout the Midlands and Worcestershire area. Each even in it's own right is unusual but to have all these events and more in the space of a few years is very clear evidence that the climate is changing.

A report due to be published on Thursday will state that 85% of the additional rainfall received in the mid latitudes (this includes the UK) is the result of climate change induced by human activity.

So yes, it's very clear that global warming has increased rainfall and that it will continue to do so into the future but to what extent the recent flooding has been exacerbated by global warming is hard to say.

One factor we know is causing more rainfall than normal is that the Jet Stream is currently lying further south than it should do at this time of the year. Instead of passing between Scotland and Iceland it's lying over central England and bringing with it a series of Atlantic depressions. Such conditions are associated with increased rainfall.

In itself, the Jet Stream lying across the UK in the middle of summer isn't that unusual but the associated increase in rainfall comes nowhere near to what's been experienced in the last few weeks.

Every indication suggests that there will be more severe flooding in the future along with all the other adverse weather events that we've recently experienced including droughts, tornadoes, heatwaves and unusually mild winters.

Answer 3

properly the united kingdom sits on suitable of a considered necessary international oceanic cutting-edge the brings heat water up from the equator up north to warmth Europe. however the ice caps are melting and inflicting the present to decelerate. It slows down as a results of freshwater from the ice caps melting into the sea, inflicting it to be much less salty. So then the present gets tousled as a results of fact the upwelling of the chilly oceanic water gets bogged down and finally the sea cutting-edge will provide up thoroughly and the united kingdom and the Americas will pass into an ice age in around 10 years. and that i'm no longer an authority, i'm merely so into Environmental technological know-how and that's what I even have examine or discovered in my Environmental technological know-how type.

Answer 4

t's a mistake to say any short term weather in any one place is due to global warming. It's just the weather, which can do anything,

This graph illustrates that, even though it's for the whole world. The individual years jump around a lot, due to weather. But the long term trend is very clear. That's climate, specifically global warming.

http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Instrumental_Temperature_Record_png

Global warming will alter precipitation patterns. Most places where people live will get less rain, a few more.

http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSL052735320070407
http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM6avr07.pdf

But you can't say any short term weather is "due to global warming". Or that any short term weather (like the very warm year 1997, which was followed by cooler years) disproves global warming.

Answer 5

Uk, Texas, Kansas, BC Canada, Fiji, India, China, Somalia, Oklahoma, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sudan, Australia, Thailand, and more.

Answer 6

It's an entitled question. It may be, and it may not be. The climate studies show that these events are expected to occur. All climate models show extreme rainfall as a consequence of global warming. This is the probability.

Firemedic: What is the science behind your statement? Do you have any?

Answer 7

Well, considering that "global warming" isn't even real, I think it is safe to say that the floods are not caused by it.

We've all had our consciousness so saturated with claims about global warming and we're just starting to believe what we're told without even searching for the real truth.

Read this article http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/harris061206.htm

Look around, see what the experts have to say and make your own decision.

Answer 8

Severe climate change is a result of global warming...those of you who think it's a myth or that theres no proof, are in denial and severely uninformed...

Answer 9

If any one has hip-boots high enough to wade through this question, go ahead...why not focus back on Louisiana, maybe it is just the powers that be saying '"Remember, you still haven't cleaned up that mess..."

Answer 10

Why? Are you under the impression there were no floods at all before the internal combustion engine?