It might be hot in Europe, but in Japan

[Art_from_Ark]

it has been the coolest summer in 10 years. NHK is reporting that temperatures have been 2-5 degrees F below normal, and it has rained nearly every day since mid-June. Rain is also in the forecast for at least the next two days. The cool summer is having a bad effect on land crops like rice, which need a period of hot, sunny weather before harvest. Some experts are predicting that Japan might have its first rice shortage since 1993.

What the reason for this abnormal weather in both Europe and Japan? Japanese meteorologists have been suggesting a drastic shift in this summer's jet stream is to blame.

[Bandit]

1. Just remember according to our most learned one ~ It ain't Global Warming

:shrug: Who knows? All I know is "times they are a changing"

[hatrack]

2. I remember the summer of 1993 there - terrible!

It rained every single damned day!!

OTOH, one of my teachers put it neatly into perspective by saying, "Well, it could be worse. 100 years ago we would all be starving by now."

[Art_from_Ark]

3. Summer of '93 was pretty miserable, wasn't it?

We had a monster typhoon that year, too. Never could go to the beach because it was too cool. And it rained so much, I had nothing but weeds in my garden.

Is there an El Nino for the Northern Hemisphere?

[Brian Sweat]

4. No, it is La Niña

La Niña is the opposite of El Niño. El Niño occurs when strong trade winds blow warm water into the Western Pacific off the coast of South America. La Niña occurs when the trade winds blow in the opossite direction pushing the warm water Eastward and drawing cold water up from the South. The cycle between El Niño and La Niña are known as the southern occilation. The effects of the southern occilation are felt throughout the world.