Manmade Global Warming Has Increased Monthly Heat Records By A Factor Of Five, Much Worse To Come

[NickB79]

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/01/14/1440721/manmade-global-warming-has-increased-monthly-heat-records-by-a-factor-of-five-much-worse-to-come/?mobile=nc

On average, there are now five times as many record-breaking hot months worldwide than could be expected without long-term global warming, shows a study now published in Climatic Change. In parts of Europe, Africa and southern Asia the number of monthly records has increased even by a factor of ten [full graphic in the study]. 80 percent of observed monthly records would not have occurred without human influence on climate, concludes the authors-team of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Complutense University of Madrid.

“The last decade brought unprecedented heat waves; for instance in the US in 2012, in Russia in 2010, in Australia in 2009, and in Europe in 2003,” lead-author Dim Coumou says. “Heat extremes are causing many deaths, major forest fires, and harvest losses – societies and ecosystems are not adapted to ever new record-breaking temperatures.” The new study relies on 131 years of monthly temperature data for more than 12.000 grid points around the world, provided by NASA. Comprehensive analysis reveals the increase in records.

The researchers developed a robust statistical model that explains the surge in the number of records to be a consequence of the long-term global warming trend. That surge has been particularly steep over the last 40 years, due to a steep global-warming trend over this period. Superimposed on this long-term rise, the data show the effect of natural variability, with especially high numbers of heat records during years with El Niño events. This natural variability, however, does not explain the overall development of record events, found the researchers.
Natural variability does not explain the overall development of record events

If global warming continues, the study projects that the number of new monthly records will be 12 times as high in 30 years as it would be without climate change. “Now this doesn’t mean there will be 12 times more hot summers in Europe than today – it actually is worse,“ Coumou points out. For the new records set in the 2040s will not just be hot by today’s standards. “To count as new records, they actually have to beat heat records set in the 2020s and 2030s, which will already be hotter than anything we have experienced to date,” explains Coumou. “And this is just the global average – in some continental regions, the increase in new records will be even greater.”

[TrogL]

1. The parking lot here is under water

We're not supposed to get our melt until late February. I've seen snow in the dark corners of my back yard in early June.

If the forecast is right for this week, it will be all gone by Thursday. That means no snowpack on the farmers' fields for the spring melt, which means no wheat/barley/canola/hay or the erosion protection those crops would provide.

[NickB79]

2. Same here in MN

The 40F weather and rain really did a number on the snowpack, what little there was to speak of.

Unless things change quickly, this spring and summer are going to be very, very hard for most farmers around here as well.

[TrogL]

3. Weather report said yesterday was a 43-year record

Got up to 8 celsius. It's supposed to be -18.