BBC. “Europe drought worst in 500yrs.”
- Thread starter Pilatus
- Start date
- Location
- Exeter, Devon
1 in 500?
Devil's advocate
Member
- Location
- Posh side of Barnsley
- Location
- Devon
I'm quite sure that statistically , every minute of every day there must be somewhere on earth experiencing its hottest, coldest, wettest, driest, windiest etc. weather on record.
- Location
- Lorette Manitoba
And it’s because of the social media and the news channels that we hear about it. When I was a kid tbe weather came in after the news, no special channel or I phones with up to the minute radar pictures. Once in a while the news would carry a major drought flood or natural disaster but only if a politician got caught in the public toilets with a rent boy and they needed to change to end the news on.
- Location
- Wiltshire
Dad used to say he had more ladybirds than wheat in the trailers in 1976. This year has not been a bad harvest, grass and maize are the crops that suffered
Bg
I don't know about 76 but when I was a kid (round that time) I used to love getting in the back of corn trailers as they were running out into the 1 ton an hour kongskilde blower,and my lasting memory was always seeing earwigs,now I can't say I can remember seeing one recently,
borderterribles
Member
- Location
- South Shropshire
So what do the BBC Soothsayers claim caused the previous worst drought, five hundred years ago?
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Probably the same sort of thing that caused the wettest darkest summer and bad harvest at a similar time in history and ensuing starvation across Europe. Climate extremes.
Don’t really know what causes them but I’d be more concerned about preparations for such events than speculation over causes. We can’t really stop them happening but we can prepare if we are minded to. Don’t see much sign of that though. I’d be storing enough to get us through a really bad year with a tiny harvest.
- Location
- somerset
well, one lot say this is the 'new' normal, its climate change
another lot say it isn't, its changing climate.
who do you believe ?
we have springs and streams, dry now, that didn't in 76
but we have had 4 seriously dry years, in the last 5. So have altered things towards more of a dry summer normal. Must be working, as we are better off, than most of our neighbours, when its usually the other way around, and some farmers are asking us how, when usually they are politely laughing at some of our changes.
But, find me a person, who can confidently tell us next years weather, and l will confidently call him a liar. And therein lies the problem, which way should we lean towards ? Betting on, its got to be better, next year, cost us a lot of money.
another lot say it isn't, its changing climate.
who do you believe ?
we have springs and streams, dry now, that didn't in 76
but we have had 4 seriously dry years, in the last 5. So have altered things towards more of a dry summer normal. Must be working, as we are better off, than most of our neighbours, when its usually the other way around, and some farmers are asking us how, when usually they are politely laughing at some of our changes.
But, find me a person, who can confidently tell us next years weather, and l will confidently call him a liar. And therein lies the problem, which way should we lean towards ? Betting on, its got to be better, next year, cost us a lot of money.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
My gut feeling is it’s definitely a trend to dry and hot conditions. I’d say CO2 levels are causing it along with reduction of vegetative cover to below critical mass. That’s not to say we won’t get big rain events. We probably will but with the energy in the atmosphere they’ll probably also be more extreme.
It’s not good at all in my view.
But there will be plenty of I’m alright Jacks who live in hitherto wet and cold areas who think it’s a wonderful thing, and who couldn’t care less about the ever expanding desertification and it’s catastrophic effects on others.
It’s not good at all in my view.
But there will be plenty of I’m alright Jacks who live in hitherto wet and cold areas who think it’s a wonderful thing, and who couldn’t care less about the ever expanding desertification and it’s catastrophic effects on others.
- Location
- somerset
l think the south of the UK, could be already classed as semi arid.
There's nothing we can do about it, we just have to work around it, look and learn from those who farm in semi arid areas.
its those who won't do anything, other than hope next year, will be better, are the ones that could be the hardest hit, there again, it could well be a washout next year, and they will be fine.
Its the not knowing, that's the tricky bit.
renewablejohn
Member
- Location
- lancs
Think Europe is learming the hard lesson that taking out the river dams may not have been such a brilliant idea.
renewablejohn
Member
- Location
- lancs
Has my quote been hacked by the Russians.