If the jet stream stays where it is will the UK have to significantly change.?

Answer 1

A very good question. I am no meteorologist but I have just seen a group of scientists on TV saying that global warming has caused major changes to the jet stream which could dramatically change our islands climate, NOW. This would bring about momentous changes for us. From the top of my head, whole towns and cities, including London, would have to be re- sited, billions of pounds lost from the destruction of of our tourist industry. An end to the British summer as we know it, whole industries built around it would fail, the list is endless. If the scientists are right, we are indeed into a life changing crisis.

Answer 2

Oodlebonse, Dan and Owiginalwabbit have the jet stream confused with the Gulf Stream.

The jet stream is an upper air current. The Gulf Stream is an undersea current.

We don't know why the jet stream is as strong as it is this summer. We do know why it is not taking a more northerly route. That is because no Azores high has established itself as it does in "normal summers". It's not the first time this has happened. We have poor summers in the UK about every five years. We have just forgotten what it's like because we have had such glorious hot summers for the past few years when the Azores high was well established for sustained periods.

If the North Atlantic Oscillating Current shuts down or falters, we will not have a climate similar to that of New York. More like Nova Scotia (which is on approximately the same latitude as the UK). Cool summers and long, very cold winters.

Answer 3

The jet stream comes in at about the height flown by jet planes - hence its name.
The gulf stream is warm water coming up the coastline.
It has been suggested that should global warming continue, the gulf stream may sink and double back on itself, which means we would no longer have a temperate climate but one which is on a par with New York (see photographs of New York winters!!)
The Jet Stream should be over Scandinavia at the moment giving them a rainy season (and cold because of their latitude); I guess they probably just have cold for now.
Our warm air has been forced further South, which is one reason why the European Continent is suffering with temperatures of 46 deg.

Answer 4

I think you are referring to the recent flooding, caused by variations in the Gulf stream. If you are worried that some of these problems are man made, maybe they are, maybe they aren't. Either way, we can't change the weather and we can't move the country. The weather will always be subject to natural variations and a random element. It is not unheard of to get summer snowfall in the UK, so a summer flood is hardly unusual. What makes the flooding more newsworthy is that more homes than ever are being flooded as proprety builders buy cheap land on natural floodplains to build expensive houses cheaply.

The trend in recent years has been to see more and more foods. You can spend billions on flood defences and have only limited success, you cannot defeat natural forces. If you build a wall to prevent one area flooding, you will probably cause one somewhere else! I think the best solution is to not buy a house at the bottom of a floodplain and try not to worry about the weather too much.

Answer 5

if global warming gets bad enough, it will cause the jet stream to change dramatically. This could in turn cause much of Europe to freeze over because the current that brought warm water from the south Atlantic ocean will no longer do that. This is one reason why global warming is more imminent than we may think. If weather patterns change dramatically, life as we know it will change as well.

Answer 6

don't worry its always moving around slightly. Its always around the UK, just that in summer it is usually a bit further north than currently is, i'm sure next year it will probably be back to normal and we will all be complaining about the heat again

Answer 7

Is it likely to stay long enough that the UK will have to change or is it likely to move further North as it would normally have done?

Answer 8

the jet stream is what keeps our country unusually warm for its northerly position. should the jet stream stay where it is we'll be fine. should it move we'll be getting colder.

Answer 9

But dont forget - it is all to do with Global Warming. Exactly how we dont know but we do know is global warming.