http://phys.org/news/2015-12-freak-heatwave-temperatures-north-pole.html
"...Temperatures at the North Pole rose above freezing point Wednesday, 20 degrees Celsius above the mid-winter norm and the latest abnormality in a season of extreme weather events.
Canadian weather authorities blamed the temperature spike on the freak depression which has already brought record Christmas temperatures to North America and lashed Britain with winds and floods.
The deep low pressure area is currently looming over Iceland and churning up hurricane force 75-knot winds and 30-foot waves in the north Atlantic while dragging warm air northwards.
"It's a very violent and extremely powerful depression, so it's not surprising that hot temperatures have been pushed so far north," said Canadian government meteorologist Nathalie Hasell.
"This deep depression has pushed hot air as far as the North Pole, where temperatures are at least 20 degrees above normal, at around freezing point, between zero and two degrees," she said.
US scientists from the North Pole Environmental Observatory told AFP that the temperatures had climbed suddenly.
An Arctic monitoring point 180 miles (300 kilometers) from the Pole that had been recording minus 37 degrees on Monday had shot up to minus eight by Wednesday, said senior researcher James Morison.
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I certainly know about the floods in Britain; although my home hasn't been flooded, many homes lower down and within sight of my home have. I am lucky to live on the higher ground where the flood risk is virtually zero.
I know this isn't an option on flat country but I cannot help think that, wherever this is feasible within hilly country, we should stop building any more new homes on the low ground in favor of only building on the higher ground thus avoid the worse of the flood risk to our homes -and yet, even while I speak, I still see them building new homes exactly where the latest flooding has only just taken place! I think that is Crazy! Wouldn't it be far better to build those homes on the higher ground? There is no shortage of higher ground in the general area where I live.
Originally posted by humyHumans are notoriously bad a long term planning. Everywhere in the world there are regions where people shouldn't build because of a 1/50 year risk of something, but people don't think that far ahead and just go right ahead and do it. It typically takes a disaster to change things, and even then not everyone learns the lessons. I am willing to bet that in Haiti there are new buildings that are not earthquake proof and that in Japan there are new buildings in Tsunami range.
I know this isn't an option on flat country but I cannot help think that, wherever this is feasible within hilly country, we should stop building any more new homes on the low ground in favor of only building on the higher ground thus avoid the worse of the flood risk to our homes -and yet, even while I speak, I still see them building new homes exactly where t ...[text shortened]... es on the higher ground? There is no shortage of higher ground in the general area where I live.
Many parts of the world have seen increased flooding because of poor farming practices or other land management issues that lead to increased and faster run-off. The recent floods in India for example can largely be blamed on land use changes. And its not as if people don't know this, its just that its too infrequent for people to spend much time on. Human psychology just isn't designed for long term threats.
Originally posted by humyWhich means that last night it was actually colder here (Hampshire) than it was at the North Pole...
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-freak-heatwave-temperatures-north-pole.html
"...Temperatures at the North Pole rose above freezing point Wednesday, 20 degrees Celsius above the mid-winter norm and the latest abnormality in a season of extreme weather events.
Canadian weather authorities blamed the temperature spike on the freak depression which has already b ...[text shortened]... es on the higher ground? There is no shortage of higher ground in the general area where I live.
Originally posted by humyIt probably is not a long lasting affair, be gone in a few days. The real question is, is this a harbinger of things to come?
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-freak-heatwave-temperatures-north-pole.html
"...Temperatures at the North Pole rose above freezing point Wednesday, 20 degrees Celsius above the mid-winter norm and the latest abnormality in a season of extreme weather events.
Canadian weather authorities blamed the temperature spike on the freak depression which has already b ...[text shortened]... es on the higher ground? There is no shortage of higher ground in the general area where I live.
Originally posted by humyRegarding your last paragraph. Yes, but flooding doesn't happen every year and living at higher altitudes has its own downsides, transport links are harder to arrange. These things involve a trade off. One option would be to design houses so that the lowest habitation floor is above ground level.
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-freak-heatwave-temperatures-north-pole.html
"...Temperatures at the North Pole rose above freezing point Wednesday, 20 degrees Celsius above the mid-winter norm and the latest abnormality in a season of extreme weather events.
Canadian weather authorities blamed the temperature spike on the freak depression which has already b ...[text shortened]... es on the higher ground? There is no shortage of higher ground in the general area where I live.