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Time for our annual Snowy Sydenham Snaps. But not in
February as in 2007 when early morning chaos on a Thursday morning ensnared
commuters as road and rail services were disrupted.
This time it was a quiet Sunday morning. Saturday had
started as a wonderful springtime morning. Warm, everything bursting into
flower and gardeners sharpening their secateurs to snip their way into summer.
We awoke to a Sunday morning very little gardening would be done. Is the
weather getting weirder?
The reason? Well it seems Sydenham has got eventually
hit by La Nina. This aberration of cool currents in the Pacific Ocean has a
world knock-on effect.
It has put Global Warming into reverse - at least for a
while. Last week the World Meteorological Organization's secretary-general,
Michel Jarraud, said it was likely that La Nina effect would continue into the
summer. So no comfort there.
Robert Fisk on Radio 4 this morning reported that it
had snowed in Beirut for the first time in 32 years. What is going on? Should I
buy a Chelsea tractor and book a gas guzzling flight to Australia to help get
us a decent summer?
Climatic change is certainly happening but it is
confused by the short term effect of La Nina (cooling currents) and El Nino
(warming currents). Most scientists are convinced that in the longer terms
things are getting warmer. So enjoy the snow while you can ...
A Reminder of February 8th 2007 ...
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