Thursday, February 26, 2009 THE BUGLE - 13
Black Country Weather in DUDLEY for 11th-
20th February 2009
SUMMARY
In contrast to the first 12 days, it was milder
than the 1971- 2000 average, especially during
the day. It also had less than half normal
precipitation.
TEMPERATURE
1. Mean maximum 8, 46.5F
2. Anomaly +1.6
3. Mean minimum 1.7, 35F
4. Anomaly +0.3
5. Average of max. & min. 4.8, 40.5F
6. Anomaly +0.9
7. Highest/date 11.8, 53.5F 19th
8. Lowest/date -3.9, 25F 12th
9. Number air frosts 3
10. Number grass frosts 7
11. Lowest grass/date -5.7, 21.7F 12th
12. 30cm soil depth 3.3, 38F
13. National Extremes Since 1875
a) Highest/place/date. 19.7, 67.5F. Greenwich
13th 1908
b) Lowest/place/date. -27.2, -17F. Braemar,
Highland 11th 1895
PRECIPITATION
14. Number of days rain/snow 3
15. Total fall 7.2mm
16. Wettest day 3.7mm 12th
17. Days with snow falling 2
18. Days with snow lying 3
19. Deepest snow 4cm 11th
HUMIDITY
20. Relative Humidity 9h 88%
AIR PRESSURE
21. Average at 9h 1027mb
22. Highest 9h 1032mb 20th
23. Lowest at 9h 1017mb 11th
FOR YOUR PERUSAL
I mentioned last week that the 2007 Interna-
tional Panel on Climatic Change used language
that denoted a certain level of certainty when it
came to its predictions of global warming. So it
was 90% certain that it was correct. Now this
level of certainty would have a "flutterer" on
the Grand National so excited that he would
almost certainly bet more than he could afford
� and win nine times out of ten!
Most informed people know that the planet
was a lot cooler some 12,000 years ago with
massive ice sheets covering North America and
Eurasia, with many mountain ranges sub-
merged beneath thick ice. Warming of the
atmosphere then occurred and the ice sheets
melted.
A lot of evidence is now emerging to show
that this warming took place erratically with
many fluctuations between warming and cool-
ing before relatively stable climate developed.
It is likely that the present global warming will
also be accompanied by rapid fluctuations
superimposed on the long-term warming trend,
as re-adjustments of atmospheric pressure belts
and ocean currents occur.
FLICKERING
A Norwegian scientific paper published by the
Bjerknes Centre for Climatic Research, the
University of Bergen and colleagues in Zurich,
Switzerland, shows how the Norwegian Sea
alternated between ice cover and ice free water
as warm, salty North Atlantic water flooded in,
and was in turn pushed away by colder, less
salty surface water which was in turn displaced
again by warmer water. Each Atlantic invasion
produced a warmer wetter climate, and each
colder period produced colder weather which
caused the ice sheets to grow again. These were
relatively rapid oscillations, or "flickering" as
the Norwegians put it, only lasting a few dec-
ades before changing. Then all this abruptly
changed to the relatively stable warmer wetter
conditions prevailing right up to today.
ANTARCTICA
The vast amount of ice burying the continent
has been in place since at least 15 million years
ago, and is roughly divided into two halves by
the TransAntarctic Mountains. The Eastern
half is about 10,000 feet high, whilst the West-
ern half is about 6,000feet in altitude and is a
bit less cold as a result. There has been a great
deal of debate recently as to whether the conti-
nent is getting colder or warmer, but now the
controversy has been settled, and it appears
that the continent as a whole is getting warmer
in keeping with the rest of the world. The East-
ern sheet has been warming at a rate that has
swamped any cooling that may or may not be
occurring in the West.
THERE'S MORE OF IT NOT LESS!
I first heard of global warming some 20 years
ago, and was for long very sceptical. However,
the evidence is now overwhelming that emis-
sions of carbon dioxide are the main cause
superimposed on top of whatever natural
warming is occurring.
I now learn that these emissions are actually
increasing not decreasing � so despite all the
talk, the situation is actually getting worse !
The output of CO2 increased by 0.9% a year in
the 1990's, but despite all the efforts, (or should
it be as a result of the lack of effort), its output
since 2000 has increased by 3.5% a year !
This is said to be mainly the result of the rapid
industrialisation taking place in the Indian sub-
continent and China, but the felling of tropical
forest must be another very important factor.
And we mustn't forget the lack of willingness
to accept that warming is actually taking place
and that our wasteful way of life in the rich
west, is unsustainable in the long term as it
rests on the exploitation of natural resources of
all kinds instead of a sustainable pattern of
existence.
So, in spite of the hot air, nothing effective has
actually been done. As a result it is highly prob-
able that we will soon pass one of the so-called
"tipping points", or point of no return when
there will be a sudden change in world climate.
I hope I am wrong, and maybe the present
financial mess the world is in may reduce car-
bon emissions whether we like it or not � a case
of every cloud having a silver lining!
THE OZONE HOLE
Do you remember all the fuss about this some
15 years ago which resulted in the Montreal
Protocol banning the use of CFC's (chlo-
rofluorocarbons), and also other gases such as
bromofluorocarbon, for refrigeration purpos-
es? It was thought that it would result in the
closing of the "hole" in the ozone layer high
above our heads. This ozone layer is extremely
thin but it does result in the dangerous ultravio-
let rays from the sun being absorbed before
they reach the ground. Scientist now think that
global warming will actually speed up the clos-
ing of the ozone hole over the two polar
regions, but it will reduce the ozone over other
latitudes such as the tropical and subtropical
regions.
FEBRUARY DAYS
1579 14th. "Stinking fish". A north-east gale
brought a four day snowfall to South-East Eng-
land. When it melted in a rapid thaw a few days
later, the River Thames flooded into Westmin-
ster Hall, and when it went down many fish
were left stranded on the floor.
Westminster Hall has been flooded many
times in it near thousand year history, but to my
knowledge not since the Victorians built the
Thames embankment.
1962 16th. I wonder if any readers can remem-
ber the dreadful Sheffield gales which caused so
much damage on this date.
A deep depression five days earlier had
brought widespread gales to Scotland and
Northern England. At Lowther Hill, Lanark-
shire there was a gust of 13mph, 198kph. Then
another depression in the Norwegian Sea on
the 14th renewed the gales with Lowther Hill
recording a gust of 118mph,190kph, and North-
ern England was swept by westerly gales.
In Sheffield there was a gust of 96mph, 154kph
and over 7,000 houses were badly damaged
with over two thirds of houses suffering some
damage. Three people were killed and about
250 injured. The city was declared a disaster
zone and teams of builders from all over the
country helped to repair the widespread
damage.
So why was Sheffield so badly affected? The
answer lies in its position on the eastern flanks
of the Pennines Mountains. There was a tem-
perature inversion when instead of the temper-
ature falling with height it rises. The north-
westerly gale was "trapped" by the war air
above. However, it couldn't go through the
Pennines so it had to go over them. This cre-
ated a succession of waves as a result. Where
the wave troughed down, the wind was as
strong as it was on top of the Pennines � and
unfortunately this was the location of Sheffield.
Relatively calm conditions prevailed a short
distance downwind to the east where the wave-
form was ascending, and even further east
where the wave form reached the ground again
was another region of strong winds which fortu-
nately caused little damage.
The HELM WIND. This is a well known local
wind which occurs when strong easterly winds
blow over Cross Fell, nearly 3000 feet high, in
the Northern Pennines. This results in a stand-
ing wave producing several north-south areas of
strong gusty winds to the west of the mountains
where the trough of the wave form touches the
ground, with intervening regions of relative
quiet.
The HEAVIEST SNOWFALL ON RECORD
Can you imagine snow falling deep enough to
completely bury someone 6 feet tall? Well, it
has happened believe it or not! On the 16th
1962 a small area on the south-eastern edge of
Dartmoor, just to the west of Hone Chase, had
an undrifted snowfall which reached 6 feet, 2m,
in 15 hours. Several eye witnesses said that it
was as if it was being "shovelled" down! This
was the deepest snowfall ever observed at a low
altitude � less than 1000 feet, in a day's fall. Of
course, at higher altitudes there are likely to
have been deeper falls in one day � but they
have gone unrecorded.
20th 1861. A deep depression crossed south-
ern England with gales from the north-east on
its northern side, and south westerly gales on its
southern side. Chichester Cathedral's Gothic
spire was battered by gales from both direc-
tions. It was built by Sir Christopher Wren who
had put a swinging balance inside to counter-
act the spire's movements in strong winds. The
following day, it was seen that the spire was
leaning a little to the south-west, it then slowly
collapsed into the church itself, followed by
most of the supporting tower.
It wasn't the first to be brought down by
windy weather. The Romanesque tower of
Norwich Cathedral was felled by a gale in 1362;
the great leaden spire of Lincoln Cathedral � at
the time the tallest building in the world � col-
lapsed in a storm in 1548; Ripon Cathedral lost
its spire in 1660; and St. Asaph Cathedral,
North Wales lost its roof in a gale in 1714.
23rd 1901. The French Impressionist painter
Claude Monet, was delighted by the London
fog. It was his third visit and he wrote," I can't
begin to describe a day as wonderful as this.
One marvel after another, each lasting less than
five minutes, it was enough to drive one mad.
Without its fog, London is insufficiently
London-like. Without fog London would not
be beautiful."
Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder � so
they say. Monet had previously painted an
orange sun rising over the cranes at Le Havre.
He called it Impression, Sunrise � thus invent-
ing Impressionism. It has been described as the
most dramatic leap forward in the history of
painting, on a par with discovery of perspective.
Of course, there was an even earlier master of
this - Turner 50 years earlier.
26th. 1990. Do you remember the Towyn
floods in North Wales? Gale force northerly
winds with 30 foot waves and a very high tide
battered the coast of North Wales. About 4
square miles were flooded, 2400 homes dam-
aged, and the town of Towyn had to be evacu-
ated as much of it is more or less at sea level
only protected by the sea wall. A lot of the
houses were bungalows and there were many
caravans lived in by pensioners who had retired
there. The emergency services took the home
owners to higher ground. Although the sea
water ruined most gardens it appears that the
roses thrived on the sea water the next summer.
27th 1947. Elizabeth David was marooned in
a hotel in Ross on Wye, Herefordshire by very
heavy snows in this worst of modern winters.
She was disgusted by the standard of food after
spending 6 years in the Mediterranean and the
Middle East where she enjoyed apricots, olives,
lemons, almonds and the scents and flavours of
simple fresh food prepared with loving care �
things the British had not seen since before
WW2. She was so enraged by the appalling cui-
sine that she wrote what became the "most
influential book in the British kitchen since
Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Manage-
ment in 1861, published in 1950. That was at a
time when garlic was a dirty word, and olive oil
was a greasy fluid you mother poured into your
ear to alleviate ear-ache. There was only one
type of cheese and that varied in colour but was
generally reckoned to be cheddar. Mind you,
we were a lot fitter in those days. How times
have changed!
Gordon Hensman's Weatherview
IF YOU are out and about in the pictur-
esque surroundings of Claverley on Sat-
urday 28th February, you may wish to
pick up a bargain at a village jumble and
bric a brac sale, to be held in Claverley
Village Hall, from 12 noon until 2pm.
Entrance fee 50p.
Claverley Village
Hall Jumble Sale
CRADLEY HEATH Flower & Gardening Club
commences its 2009 programme with a meeting on
Thursday 5th March at 7pm at Four Ways Baptist
Church in Corngreaves Road. Special Guest for
the evening will be Clare Wilson of Floral
Engagements, Stourbridge.
All welcome. Entrance �3 including refeshments.
Gardeners meet
at Cradley Heath
`Can you imagine snow falling deep enough
to completely bury someone 6 feet tall? Well,
it has happened believe it or not!'
Beacon Centre Black
Country Night Out
THE Pavilion at Goodyears on the Stafford
Road, Wolverhampton, is the venue for Bea-
con Centre for the Blind's Black Country
Night Out.
This popular event will be held on Friday
20th March with entertainment from Tommy
Mundon, Marlene and Maggie O'Hara.
Doors open at 7.15 pm for a 8.00 pm start
and tickets at �9.50 adults and �6.50 chil-
dren under 12 (includes a supper).
Tickets available from Karen Gullick
(Community Fundraising Officer) on 01902
88011.
Email kgullick@beacon4blind.co.uk.

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