Record flooding hits Ireland, global warming might be to blame
Heavy flooding hit Ireland this past Monday, after a second weekend of record summer rains. At Dublin airport, almost seven inches of rain has already been recorded, more than double the August average and almost a quarter of what would be expected in an entire year. And this is in Ireland, a place which already gets its fair share of rain.There has been hardly any lightening of the rain since August 8th, when three inches of rain fell in Dublin. Over 100 people were evacuated from their homes in the town of Carlow after a river flooded. A landslide partially derailed a train on the Dublin to Cork line and road closures are happening all over place. Wheat and barley crops are also at risk.
So, is this severe weather due to climate change? Depends who you ask. According to the Reuters article, Irish Green Party lawmaker Mary White said that the severe floods "can almost certainly be related to the changing weather patterns." However a spokesman for Met Eirean, Ireland's national meteorological service, said that the nature of weather patterns means its too early to make a direct link to global warming.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-20-2008 @ 8:54AM
ecoanne said...
It seems that your weather man is trying to pour oil on troubled waters, almost literally.
The reason for the wet and windy summer is that the jet stream, way up above the clouds, drives our weather. Unfortunately, this summer the jetstream is in a different place than usual. Without technical explanation, the countries that need monsoons etc. are getting the dry weather we need and we are getting the water they need.
Unfortunately we cannot tinker with the jetstream, the ultimate control center of the weather. Why the jetstream isn't delivering this year is the question. Do we need hyped words to apportion blame? No, we must act to protect ourselves and our communities and return to a more careing and more energy conscious society. Arguing, apportioning blame and pontificating won't help. This just leads to "fiddling while Rome burns". Prayer, though is something personal that just might help.
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