Weather versus climate

By Sophy

With the UK enduring its coldest winter in 30 years and parts of the USA engulfed in snow and heavy blizzards, the climate sceptics have had plenty of ammunition in their armoury. There are growing numbers who see this winter’s chilly weather as ‘proof’ that climate change isn’t happening and are shouting loudly about it.

Of course, the sophisticated and intelligent readers of this blog know perfectly well there’s an important difference between the weather and the climate. The weather is what’s happening outside – today, tomorrow and at the weekend (do I need an umbrella or a scarf when I leave the house today?). The climate is about much longer-term trends (why we use 100% renewable electricity).

So it is perfectly possible for the UK – and other parts of the world - to experience an exceptionally cold winter, while simultaneously experiencing an overall climate warming trend.
Sometimes it can be hard though to muster the evidence to support that. An online climate science briefing this week will arm you with some useful facts:

• According to satellite date from Monash University in Melbourne, January 2010 was the hottest January globally since data collection began in 1979. As was November to January.
• The World Meteorological Organisation said that 2000 – 2009 was the hottest decade since records began in 1850.
• The WMO also said that eight of the 10 hottest years on record have occurred since 2000.
• Read the full story on Reuters here: 

And finally, in order to counter those who just don’t trust more than 150 years’ of climate data, the UK Met Office is proposing re-analysing the entire global record of land-based air temperatures from 5,000 weather stations, which began before 1860. It’s a gargantuan task which will take three years – but it should finally remove the last traces of doubt about the reality that our earth is getting warmer.

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