It's confirmed - No global warming ;D

Snow falls in Auckland for first time in decades

Snow has fallen in downtown Auckland for the first time in 80 years as a 'once in a lifetime' polar blast spreads across New Zealand, forecasters say.

Widespread reports of snow emerged this afternoon as bitterly cold and stormy conditions set in around Auckland.

Weatherwatch.co.nz this afternoon confirmed snowflakes had fallen in Auckland city centre for the first time since the 1930s.

Its head forecaster Philip Duncan said snow flurries could hit amid expected bitterly cold conditions this evening.

"If Auckland is getting reports of snow flurries now at the warmest point of the day that makes you wonder about what might be coming tonight.

"There could be some snow flurries in Queen Street, but it won't settle."

Mr Duncan said 'graupel' - a soft hail that resembles snow - along with hail and sleet were also falling across the city.

He said snow would settle at heights of 200m and fall to 100m in Auckland overnight.

The storm was a 'once in a lifetime' event and similar conditions had not been seen in the city since the 1930s, he said.

Meanwhile, snowfall is being reported in downtown Wellington.

Twitter users reported heavy falls in Newton, while Parliament workers have confirmed snowfall at the Beehive.

The bitterly cold southerly blast has now brought snow to most of New Zealand, closing roads, some airports and cutting power to thousands.

Snow has made roads impassable in many areas of both islands.

MetService head forecaster Peter Kreft told NZPA the polar blast was "of the order of a 50 year'' event and warned it could last for several more days.

"It's a once in many decades event. We are probably looking at something like - in terms of extent and severity, maybe 50 years,'' he said.

The level of snow that fell in Wellington had not been seen since at least the 1970s, he said.

The front was bringing snow to parts of the country which did not usually see it and even Auckland would not be spared.

"I'd be surprised if over the next few days people didn't see sleet [in Auckland],'' he said.

NZ Post warned mail deliveries would be delayed in many areas because of the snow.

Snow falls in Auckland for first time in decades

cool  8-)

It might be cold because it is that time of the year.....

The term "climate change" is actually a more accurate description of what is happening than "global warming". "Global warming" is just the increase in global temperature resulting from mainly CO2 emissions. But we are also seeing more floods, droughts, and a greater range of extreme weather conditions, which can be better described as "climate change". Warming of the atmosphere doesn't mean that temperatures in Melbourne get warmer. It can cause snow and colder temperatures in some areas. Worldwide over the last ten years or so there have been about twice as many record hot temperatures than cold.

The Earth's climate has changed in the past, but not at the rapid pace we are seeing now and without, if one is a climate change denier, a reasonable explanation.

We tend to use the terms interchangeably in environmental science. We still talk about global warming potentials of GHG's.

Frances wrote on Aug 16^th, 2011 at 10:45am:

we are also seeing more floods, droughts, and a greater range of extreme weather conditions

Except we aren't.

Quote:

Climate change has seen a warming of waters globally, and the waters north of Australia are an important part of the climate system for Australia's monsoon rains. They are at their warmest ever measured and we cannot exclude climate change from contributing to this warmth, [and] if it is very warm there this enhances evaporation into the atmosphere, creating moist air.

Prof. Matthew England, Joint Director, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW


Quote:

Australia has been known for more than a hundred years as a land of droughts and flooding rains, but what climate change means is Australia becomes a land of more droughts and worse flooding rains.

Prof. David Karoly, School of Earth Sciences, The University of Melbourne


Quote:

As seas warm, the ocean has more energy that can be converted to tropical cyclone wind.

Elsner, J. B. et al., 2008, Nature


Quote:

We do expect to see more extreme events, particularly in the tropical regions. We're going to see more extreme tropical cyclones, category five cyclones. We're going to see more extreme rainfall events and floods and we could also see more extreme droughts too. So we really do need to take these warnings very, very seriously.

Prof. Jonathon Nott, Professor of Geomorphology & Natural Hazards James Cook University, Cairns


Quote:

The high number of weather-related natural catastrophes and record temperatures both globally and in different regions of the world provide further indications of advancing climate change.

Munich Re, Global Insurance Company, Media Release, January 2011

Frances wrote on Aug 16^th, 2011 at 10:45am:

It might be cold because it is that time of the year.....

The first line in my post was tongue-in-cheek. However, apparently it hasn't snowed in Auckland since 1939.

Soren wrote on Aug 16^th, 2011 at 10:36pm:

Frances wrote on Aug 16th, 2011 at 10:45am: we are also seeing more floods, droughts, and a greater range of extreme weather conditions Except we aren't.

Not since the last flood, drought, cyclone, earthquake, tsunami or extreme weather event happened, anyway.

Nice day today.

Enquiring mind wrote on Aug 18^th, 2011 at 3:32pm:

Soren wrote on Aug 16th, 2011 at 10:36pm: Frances wrote on Aug 16th, 2011 at 10:45am: we are also seeing more floods, droughts, and a greater range of extreme weather conditions Except we aren't. Not since the last flood, drought, cyclone, earthquake, tsunami or extreme weather event happened, anyway. Nice day today.

Exactly....nor since the previous ones either...going back to the 1890s....

Soren wrote on Aug 16^th, 2011 at 10:36pm:

Except we aren't.

Denial personified ::) You people are such wilfully ignorant fools.


Quote:

July 2011 was the globe's 7th warmest July on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies rated July the 3rd warmest on record. July 2011 global land temperatures were the 5th warmest on record, and ocean temperatures were the 11th warmest on record. Global satellite-measured temperatures for the lowest 8 km of the atmosphere were the 6th or 3rd warmest in the 34-year record, according to Remote Sensing Systems and the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH). Arctic sea ice in July was the lowest on record, going back to 1979. For all the reflexive deniers out there, University of Alabama Huntsville is DR. ROY SPENCER, in case you didn't know!! Remarkable heat in Asia For the second consecutive summer, some of the hottest temperatures in Earth's recorded history have scorched Asia[highlight]. The six hottest (undisputed) temperatures ever measured in Asia have all occurred in during the past two summers: [/highlight] 1) 53.5°C (128.3°F) at Moenjodaro, Pakistan on May 26, 2010 2) 53.3°C (127.9°F) at Mitrabah, Kuwait on August 3, 2011 3) 53.1°C (127.6°F) at Sulaibiya, Kuwait on June 15, 2010 4) 53.0°C (127.4°F) at Tallil, Iraq on August 3, 2011 4) 53.0°C (127.4°F) at Dehloran, Iran on July 28, 2011 4) 53.0°C (127.4°F) at Sibi, Pakistan, on May 26, 2010 Asia's official all-time hottest temperature is 54°C measured at Tirat Zvi, Israel on June 21, 1942. However, as explained by our weather historian, Christopher C. Burt, this record is under serious dispute. Weather records researchers Howard Rainford and Maximiliano Herrera discovered that the thermograph trace of the record had been mis-read as one degree higher than it actually was, and there were other irregularities with the data. Also, a temperature in excess of 54°C was measured in Mitribah, Kuwait in July 2010, but the temperature sensor was found to be faulty. Last year, twenty nations set all-time heat records. So far this year, there have been six such records set: Kuwait recorded its hottest temperature on record on August 3, 2011, when the mercury hit 53.3°C (127.0°F) at Mitrabah. The previous record was 53.1°C in Sulaibiya on June 15, 2010. According to weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera, who has been corresponding with representatives from the Kuwait Meteorological Center, the reading has been confirmed as authentic. The 53.3°C (127.0°F) at Mitrabah thus represents: 1) New official national record for Kuwait 2) Second highest (undisputed) temperature ever recorded in Asia 3) Highest temperature ever recorded in an Arabic country 4) Third hottest location in the planet together with Lake Havasu City, AZ (after Death Valley, CA and Moenjodaro, Pakistan) 5) A new world record for August Iraq recorded its hottest temperature on record on August 3, 2011 in Tallil (Ali military airbase), when the mercury hit 53°C (127.4°F). The previous record was 52.3°C recorded at Diwanya FOB airbase a few days before. Armenia recorded its hottest temperature on record on July 31 in Meghri, when the mercury hit 43.7°C (110.7°F). The previous record was 43.1°C in Meghri on July 17, 2005. Iran recorded its hottest temperature in its history on July 28, 2011, when the mercury hit 53°C (127.4°F) at Dehloran. The previous previous record was set just one day earlier at Omidieh and Shoshtar, when the mercury hit 52.6°C (126.6°F). Republic of the Congo set a new all-time extreme heat record on March 8, 2011, when the temperature hit 39.2°C (102.6°F) at M'Pouya. Congo's previous all-time hottest temperature was 39.0°C (102.2°F) at Impfondo on May 14, 2005. Special mention: Russia had its hottest temperature on record at a regular synoptic reporting station on July 30, 2011, when the mercury hit 44.3°C (111.7°F) at Divnoe in Russia's Kalmykia Republic. Three hotter temperatures have been recorded at automated stations: 45.4°C in 2010 at a hydrological station at Utta, plus readings of 45°C at El'ton and 44.5°C at Verhjnky Baskunkak in August 1940. [highlight]No nations have set an all-time coldest temperature record this year], or did so in 2010.[/highlight Weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera is the primary source of the weather records listed here; he maintains a comprehensive list of extreme temperature records for every nation in the world on his website.

http://icons.wxug.com/hurricane/2011/201107.gif

Figure 1. Departure of temperature from average for July 2011. Image credit: National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).

astro_surf wrote on Aug 19^th, 2011 at 12:34am:

Soren wrote on Aug 16th, 2011 at 10:36pm: Except we aren't. Denial personified ::) You people are such wilfully ignorant fools. Quote: July 2011 was the globe's 7th warmest July on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies rated July the 3rd warmest on record. July 2011 global land temperatures were the 5th warmest on record, and ocean temperatures were the 11th warmest on record. Global satellite-measured temperatures for the lowest 8 km of the atmosphere were the 6th or 3rd warmest in the 34-year record, according to Remote Sensing Systems and the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH). Arctic sea ice in July was the lowest on record, going back to 1979. For all the reflexive deniers out there, University of Alabama Huntsville is DR. ROY SPENCER, in case you didn't know!! Remarkable heat in Asia For the second consecutive summer, some of the hottest temperatures in Earth's recorded history have scorched Asia[highlight]. The six hottest (undisputed) temperatures ever measured in Asia have all occurred in during the past two summers: [/highlight] 1) 53.5°C (128.3°F) at Moenjodaro, Pakistan on May 26, 2010 2) 53.3°C (127.9°F) at Mitrabah, Kuwait on August 3, 2011 3) 53.1°C (127.6°F) at Sulaibiya, Kuwait on June 15, 2010 4) 53.0°C (127.4°F) at Tallil, Iraq on August 3, 2011 4) 53.0°C (127.4°F) at Dehloran, Iran on July 28, 2011 4) 53.0°C (127.4°F) at Sibi, Pakistan, on May 26, 2010 Asia's official all-time hottest temperature is 54°C measured at Tirat Zvi, Israel on June 21, 1942. However, as explained by our weather historian, Christopher C. Burt, this record is under serious dispute. Weather records researchers Howard Rainford and Maximiliano Herrera discovered that the thermograph trace of the record had been mis-read as one degree higher than it actually was, and there were other irregularities with the data. Also, a temperature in excess of 54°C was measured in Mitribah, Kuwait in July 2010, but the temperature sensor was found to be faulty. Last year, twenty nations set all-time heat records. So far this year, there have been six such records set: Kuwait recorded its hottest temperature on record on August 3, 2011, when the mercury hit 53.3°C (127.0°F) at Mitrabah. The previous record was 53.1°C in Sulaibiya on June 15, 2010. According to weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera, who has been corresponding with representatives from the Kuwait Meteorological Center, the reading has been confirmed as authentic. The 53.3°C (127.0°F) at Mitrabah thus represents: 1) New official national record for Kuwait 2) Second highest (undisputed) temperature ever recorded in Asia 3) Highest temperature ever recorded in an Arabic country 4) Third hottest location in the planet together with Lake Havasu City, AZ (after Death Valley, CA and Moenjodaro, Pakistan) 5) A new world record for August Iraq recorded its hottest temperature on record on August 3, 2011 in Tallil (Ali military airbase), when the mercury hit 53°C (127.4°F). The previous record was 52.3°C recorded at Diwanya FOB airbase a few days before. Armenia recorded its hottest temperature on record on July 31 in Meghri, when the mercury hit 43.7°C (110.7°F). The previous record was 43.1°C in Meghri on July 17, 2005. Iran recorded its hottest temperature in its history on July 28, 2011, when the mercury hit 53°C (127.4°F) at Dehloran. The previous previous record was set just one day earlier at Omidieh and Shoshtar, when the mercury hit 52.6°C (126.6°F). Republic of the Congo set a new all-time extreme heat record on March 8, 2011, when the temperature hit 39.2°C (102.6°F) at M'Pouya. Congo's previous all-time hottest temperature was 39.0°C (102.2°F) at Impfondo on May 14, 2005. Special mention: Russia had its hottest temperature on record at a regular synoptic reporting station on July 30, 2011, when the mercury hit 44.3°C (111.7°F) at Divnoe in Russia's Kalmykia Republic. Three hotter temperatures have been recorded at automated stations: 45.4°C in 2010 at a hydrological station at Utta, plus readings of 45°C at El'ton and 44.5°C at Verhjnky Baskunkak in August 1940. [highlight]No nations have set an all-time coldest temperature record this year], or did so in 2010.[/highlight Weather records researcher Maximiliano Herrera is the primary source of the weather records listed here; he maintains a comprehensive list of extreme temperature records for every nation in the world on his website. http://icons.wxug.com/hurricane/2011/201107.gif Figure 1. Departure of temperature from average for July 2011. Image credit: National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).

Ah! I forgot about the OTHER parts of the world!

Very good.

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/PIOMAS-July.gif