"lawrence jenkins" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...
"England under water: scientists confirm global warming link to
increased rain"
By Michael McCarthy Environment Editor
The Independent
Published: 23 July 2007

(extract)

"...The study is being published in the journal Nature on Wednesday,
and its details are under embargo and cannot be reported until then.
But its main findings have caused a stir, and are being freely
discussed by climate scientists in the Met Office, the Hadley Centre
and the Department for Environment For Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs.
One source familiar with the study's conclusions said: "What this does
is establish for the first time that there is a distinct 'human
fingerprint' in the changes in precipitation patterns * the increases
in rainfall * observed in the northern hemisphere mid-latitudes, which
includes Britain.
"That means, it is not just the climate's natural variability which
has caused the increases, but there is a detectable human cause *
climate change, caused by our greenhouse gas emissions. The 'human
fingerprint' has been detected before in temperature rises, but never
before in rainfall. So this is very significant.
"Some people would argue that you can't take a single event and pin
that on climate change, but what happened in Britain last Friday fits
quite easily with these conclusions. It does seem to have a certain
resonance with what they're finding in this research."
The Hadley Centre lead scientist involved with the study was Dr Peter
Stott, who specialises in finding "human fingerprints" * sometimes
referred to as anthropogenic signals * on the changing climate. "

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/thi...cle2793067.ece


What happened last Friday is archetypal of extreme rainfall events that have
occurred in the past. E.g. the Tweed floods of 1948. Last friday's situation
also fits that pattern. Whether global warming has exacerbated the situation is
up for speculation, only time will tell.

Will (Haytor, Devon, 1017 feet asl)
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