subtitle

...a blog by Richard Flowers

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Day 2395: Wet, Wet, Wet

Monday:


As Mr Will has already reported, the Evening Standard decided its headline should be the HILARIOUS and NOT-AT-ALL-ALARMIST:

"Thames Floods; Prepare to FLEE!"


(Never let it be said that "The Web of Fear" was UNREALISTIC!)

As the waters rise, how have our leaders responded?

Mr Frown toured the devastation from his helicopter;

Sir Mr the Merciless returned to Hull to see what could be done to clear up after their floods;

And Mr Balloon… er… flew off to Africa leaving parts of his constituency under water.


Poor Mr Balloon, it is not like the crisis in Rwanda does not need publicising, and it is not like trade with Africa isn't a really good idea; it's not even as though Mr B didn't get his wellies on first… but if EVER there was a REALLY BAD time to stage a photo stunt in dry and sunny Africa, then THIS WAS IT.

Still, the Conservatory leader is not the only one facing STORMY WEATHER. What IS going on? Isn't global warming supposed to STOP this sort of thing?

Well, these BBC weather maps show part of the answer: our old friend, the Jet Stream, last year carrying the rains and storms north of Scotland towards Norway; this year aiming them straight at us.

Predicting the climate is difficult at the best of times; all we really know now is that it IS changing and that PEOPLE are having a BIG EFFECT. By trapping more HEAT in the system, there is more energy going around and around and so we can expect more EXTREME climate events.

The PREDICTION is that we will see DRYER summers… but more flooding in WINTER. So we should really be thinking about paying attention to the warnings.

We all pointed and stared at the Monkey in Chief when HE ignored the warnings and allowed Hurricane Katrina to obliterate New Orleans. So what's OUR excuse?

Anyway, it was raining on Saint Swithun's Day and superstitious people tell us that this is BAD NEWS – here is the map of Britain after forty days and forty nights of rain.

Does anybody have an ark?

PS

Mr Simon has got the PICTURES that I wanted! Hooray!

No comments: