Climate Change In Lerwick?

By Paul Homewood

 

Another special request! 

 

We constantly hear how rapidly our climate is changing, yet in reality the changes are so small and spread out over such long periods that we simply would not notice them if we had not been told.

This is particularly so when the long term changes are compared with the huge swings in temperature and rainfall which we experience on a day to day, and month to month basis.

 

I have had a look at climate data from Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, specifically focussing on the last 25 years.

 

 

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/stationdata/lerwickdata.txt

 

As far as temperature is concerned, last year was the warmest in the series, but only 0.2C higher than 2003. This would be barely noticeable against a background where year on year changes can be a degree or more.

Overall though, I would defy anyone without a thermometer to tell whether, say, 2013 was warmer or colder than 1992 or 1993.

Rainfall as well is sometimes up, sometimes down, and sometimes in the middle. It’s called weather. But you certainly would not be able to say that Lerwick was getting wetter or drier. Indeed, if you had to use this chart to guess this year’s rainfall, you may just as well flip a coin instead.

 

I think the good citizens will much more concerned with the vagaries of their weather than they will with any imaginary climate change.