Environment | Random

Weather Around The World.

Fee Writes

Perhaps I should become a weather girl … Not!

But the other day when I was skyping with my friend in Florida she was telling me how the weather over there is so very unusual. I already had an idea that it was, what with the fires on the West coast and the rains and floods on the East.

Then she told me that friends were in Los Vegas and it hailed – yup, Los Vegas – Hail – Go figure. The hailstones were of a decent size too –  O.k. so the hail didn’t stick around for long as the heat melted it, but that’s not the point – it hailed in Los Vegas!!

My curiosity got the better of me, so while Googling an image of this hail I also searched around to see if it had happened before. So far there’s been 9 reports of hail this year in Los Vegas.  If you go back in time there was only one report of hail in the years 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013. So what’s happened this year to make it hail more often?

Hey, I’m no meteorologist which means I have no idea, but I’m going to step out on a limb here and surmise that the weather is changing all over the world.

It seems like North America has more hot air than even the Donald can muster and these absurd weather patterns are striking with great force over the entire country.

So what about the weather in my neck of the woods?

Well, New Zealand is not missing out on the bizarre weather patterns either.

It appears that June 2016 was the 3rd warmest on record. Overall the temperatures were well above average and the rainfall was below normal. (Mind you, where I live apparently the rainfall was above normal which would be right).

And here’s what the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research says:

“The first 6 months of 2016 have all been warmer than average and January to June 2016 is the warmest such period in the seven station series temperature history with a departure from average of +1.4°C.”

Now I hope you’ve realised that I haven’t at any point in the above drivel mention the words climate change … if you are at all interested in it – I’m sure you’re capable of doing your own research.

Bored yet?

O.k. I hear you – so I’ll change the subject.

Geez, it’s been a bleak, wet and cold old day today.