Local Forecasts, History & Records
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.
This is one of those questions that seems simple on the surface, but when you scratch the surface a bit, it opens up a world of understanding about how we think about weather and climate. It’s something I often find myself explaining to visitors on the Durham Weather website, especially when we’ve just had a spell of odd or extreme …
If governments choose to deny or abandon mitigation of climate change, things will almost certainly get worse—and quicker too. The planet isn’t waiting around while politicians argue. It responds to the laws of physics, not opinion polls or election cycles. Let’s cut to it. If mitigation, meaning cutting greenhouse gas emissions, is abandoned, then emissions will just keep rising. That …
Ah yes, chemtrails—the rabbit hole that never seems to close. Let’s get into it. If you’ve ever looked up on a clear day and seen long white streaks criss-crossing the sky, you’ve seen what are commonly called contrails. They’re short for “condensation trails,” and they’re exactly what they sound like: trails of condensed water vapour. Jet engines burn fuel, and …
That’s a good question and one that crops up more and more, especially when the weather throws something odd at us – like snow in April or a blazing hot September. You’ll often hear someone say, “So much for global warming!” with a chuckle, as though a cold snap disproves it all. But that’s the tip of the iceberg (no …
I’m going to kick things off by explaining what Global warming really is and why it’s become such a hot-button issue. This isn’t just about a gradual increase in average global temperatures; it’s also about the massive knock-on effect this has on our planet’s climate systems. At its core, global warming results from an excess of greenhouse gases like carbon …
In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m running a weather blog here at Durham Weather, and even though every man and his dog has voiced their opinion on the subject of Climate Change, up until now i’ve kept quiet about it. Suddenly, everyone is an expert It seems that in the last few years everyone has become bolder and added their …
This was a video produced by Channel 4 in 2007, supposedly debunking Global Warming/Climate Change. Discussion ensued on The North East Forum at the time. This was in 2007 and the warming has got worse since then. It’s an interesting discussion and fairly typical of arguments at the time. Here’s a transcript. Barcode : I notice the people who were …
This is a post I made to the NetWeather forum in November 2014 about some of the longstanding records in the Central England Temperature Series (CET). This series goes back to 1659 and is a record of temperature in the Midlands of England. The stations the average is computed from are very rural, so Urban Heat Island effects should not …