World faces hottest year ever as El Niño combines with global warming

[cal04]

A combination of global warming and the El Niño weather system is set to make 2007 the warmest year on record with far-reaching consequences for the planet, one of Britain's leading climate experts has warned.

As the new year was ushered in with stormy conditions across the UK, the forecast for the next 12 months is of extreme global weather patterns which could bring drought to Indonesia and leave California under a deluge.

The warning, from Professor Phil Jones, director of the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, was one of four sobering predictions from senior scientists and forecasters that 2007 will be a crucial year for determining the response to global warming and its effect on humanity.

Professor Jones said the long-term trend of global warming - already blamed for bringing drought to the Horn of Africa and melting the Arctic ice shelf - is set to be exacerbated by the arrival of El Niño, the phenomenon caused by above-average sea temperatures in the Pacific.

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article2116873.ece

[kestrel91316]

1. Oh, good!! Maybe we will break the all-time LA County high of 119

that we just set last summer!!!

I'm so excited!

[emmadoggy]

2. CRAP! Five minutes in this forum and I'm not getting any sleep tonight!

A couple nights ago, I read the story from the LA Times (I think?) about the oceans and the rise of algae and jellyfish etc., now tonight, five minutes and about 4 posts in (including the one about James Hansen's predictions) and I am shaking in my boots (if it were cold enough to need boots!).

I am so afraid for my children's future (not to mentions everyone else's!)

:scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

[phantom power]

3. That sounds like a prescription for another bad typhoon season.

I wonder what the 2007 Atlantic hurrican season will be like.

[Dead_Parrot]

5. Normally, it should be calmer...

El Niño tends to mean increased winds in the gulf, more shear, less big hurricanes.

However, I'd recommend asking your magic 8-ball if things are normal.

[phantom power]

6. Right. My 8-ball says "fuck no" on the "normal" question.

[yourout]

4. This Wisconsin winter has been the warmest I have ever...

experienced. No snow and almost 50 today. When I was a kid it would be about -10 with 2 feet of snow by now.

[kestrel91316]

7. My sister's lawn in Whitefish Bay looked like it could use a

good mowing at Christmas.

Normally it's BITTER cold at Christmas there, and the ground frozen.

Nothing to see here. Move along.