Sunny May–But Only The 48th Warmest
By Paul Homewood
While we’re on with Harrabin’s hysterics about May’s sunny weather being due to climate change, it is appropriate to point out to him that last month was far from being the hottest on record in England:
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcet/data/download.html
In fact there have been 47 hotter Mays since 1659. The hottest was 1833, and the five hottest were all pre 1850.
We know of course that Harrabin has little interest in facts, unless they suit his agenda. But he really should consult the data, as he might learn something.
He claims that May 2020 was the sunniest on record in the UK, but sunshine records only start in 1929. I strongly suspect those scorching Mays in the 19thC were also unusually sunny as well.
And what about spring as a whole?
Again, nowhere near a record, ranking tie 9th warmest, along with 1952. Spring was also warmer back in 1893:
You will recall that the spring of 1893 was the driest on record in England. A look at the Met Office monthly weather summaries shows just how similar that spring was to this year’s, other than the fact that there was some rain towards the end of May:
https://digital.nmla.metoffice.gov.uk/SO_0ae033c1-0ae6-4bde-a493-5851547972e6/
Far from the recent weather in the UK being unprecedented and astounding, or it being a part of a pattern of increasingly extreme weather, as Harrabin’s so-called scientist fellow travellers want us to believe, the spring of 1893 shows just how little England’s climate has changed in the last 127 years.
But you won’t be told that by the BBC.
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NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
Harrabin refutes “Honesty is the best policy” but seems always to escape BBC censure.
Probably the BBC political and “scientifc” staff are all like that and do not know it.
“Fact checking” does not mean as useful and trustworthy as it sounds, but the facts behind an issue are available and, as John Reith would have insisted, must be sought, as you detail for a usefully truthful report,
Do not confuse me with the facts…my mind is already made up!
Brilliant Paul. Well done, sir!
It has long been a game for the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/hottopics/climatechange/climate_challenge/aboutgame.shtml
The daily agenda is mandatory, Harrabin is paid to re-inforce it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/our-planet-matters-2020
16.01.2020
“The BBC is planning its most ambitious year of climate change coverage with special programming, digital coverage and debates.
With the UN’s international conference on climate change coming to the UK in the autumn, the BBC will be at the heart of the national and international debate.
Under the BBC’s Our Planet Matters banner, BBC News and wider programming will do more than ever to explore all aspects of the environment and challenges facing our planet, both at a local and global level.
BBC Director of News, Fran Unsworth, says: “The challenge of climate change is the topic of our age and we will be at the heart of the debate. Our audiences around the world have long been affected by the science, politics, business and human impact of climate change.
This is part of our commitment to Our Planet Matters and we have many exciting new commissions across news and current affairs with informative, accessible expertise, to help audiences keep up with this vital story.”
BBC Director of Content, Charlotte Moore, says: “The launch of Our Planet Matters on the BBC last year has really resonated with audiences and I’m excited to see news and current affairs join this ongoing commitment to explore the environment and the challenges facing our planet through a range of content to help inform audiences over the years ahead.”
BBC News will introduce new programmes and services across its output, including Climate Check from BBC Weather, a weekly global climate podcast from BBC World Service, with new current affairs series on BBC Two with Ade Adepitan, Ade On The Frontline Of Climate Change and Simon Reeve exploring South America and the Amazon rainforest in The Americas With Simon Reeve, as well as events and debates which aim to bring together experts from around the world to highlight the most pressing issues about the climate.
On BBC News, Sir David Attenborough kicks things off with an interview for BBC News Science Editor David Shukman. Sir David warns that “the moment of crisis has come” in efforts to tackle climate change. He says: “We have been putting things off for year after year. As I speak, southeast Australia is on fire. Why? Because the temperatures of the Earth are increasing.”
Other factual programming coming up this year includes Sir David Attenborough presenting Extinction: The Facts, a one-hour BBC One documentary looking at the fragile state of the natural world and Chris Packham investigating the impact a growing human population is having on the planet in 7.7 Billion People And Counting on BBC Two.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/c4y3wxdx24nt/our-planet-matters
COPxx has moved to Autumn 2021, can the BBC keep up the hype? No doubt it can.
Sir David says that SE Australia is on fire, Why? Because of all those BTUs of heat radiated by the freezing of all that sea water to the South, that’s why!
“SE Australia is on fire..”
ummm.
NOPE. its actually rather on the cool side for this time of year.
SE Queensland has just had its coldest May days in 30 years or more
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-01/bom-brisbane-weather-queensland-southern-downs-record-cold-snap/12204438
UAH has May in Australia at 25th warmest out of 42 years
Although no really significant records have fallen, it is definitely an extraordinarily warm start to the year:-
Indeed – but but where’s the hockey stick gone? Where’s Michael Mann when you need him?
That graph is nice. It clearly shows the low temperatures in the 1690’s, when there was widespread crop failure and starvation in Northern Europe. Scotland was badly hit, and lost around 10% of its population as result.
Give that they’re so fixated on changes from pre-industrial values, do the eco-loons think that 1690’s type weather would be a good thing? Do they actually have a clue about how to examine and think about these data, and apply a historical context?
Sorry, silly question.
The key variable is the negligible amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the UK as a proportion of the total planetary amount.
It is less than 1%.
We could not help combat adverse climate change, even were the AGW hypotheses correct, which seems very unlikely.
Despite all the green hype, we must not seek a green revolution.
That’s madness, especially since the plague is destroying our economy and lifestyle.
“we must not seek a green revolution.”
The best way forward with a “greening revolution, would be to increase our replenishment of atmospheric CO2
The whole biosphere LUVs that CO2 !
“You will recall that the spring of 1893 was the driest on record in England.”
I remember it well !
But when I saw the post on the BBC Red Button “Meteorologists say they are amazed at the sudden switch from extreme wet to extreme dry – it is not “British” weather.” I realised that the Meteorologists haven’t lived in Britain as long as I have and experienced the hot, cold, wet dry, snow, and hail that can follow each other in a matter of minutes, but thankfully no frogs, or locusts and the local stream is running with blood at the moment .
Harrabin studied English at university so the fact he’s the BBC’s guru on climate science says it all about the BBC’s bias. I wonder how his job was advertised: “Senior science editor required, no science background necessary, eco-loonies welcome”?
It’s good to know there are still a few intelligent people around on the planet. Thank you for Some real Scientific research and sanity.