h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Politicians are jumping on the Global Warming bandwagon in the UK, probably as an excuse to pile more tax on gasoline/petrol.

However, those of us who have been around for a quite a few years remember floods that were at least as bad as the ones that are currently causing problems across the UK.

Having said that, I suspect that global warming may indeed be a major problem, but it is not the sole cause of unusual weather conditions.

Train services where I am were cancelled for a few days (some still are on nearby lines).

Still, I can't complain too much, as plenty of people got their houses flooded.

Ironic, though, that public transport helps to prevent global warming, and global warming helps prevent public transport.

I live in Clonmel, Ireland, and we have had some.. impolite.. flooding lately, let me tell you. I was on the lucky side of town, but the main street, Irishtown (it is a real street - it was the area of the town which contain mostly Irish during the English occupation, see) was flooded and basements all up and down were ruined. I the Old Bridge bit people had to be evacuated by the Civil defence. One old guy had to be taken out in the digging bucket of a JCB. 'twas bloddy awful. But Global Warming? I think not, the effects aren't due for 50 years anyway? Didn't the last ice age happen all byt itself?

Ok. Floods happen almost every year but the media is only interested in proportion to the number of people it affects.
So, why do more people seem to be effected this year?
Here's some ideas...
1) Farming. Changes in farming practises have changed the land causing water to run off quicker. Two years ago a farmer near a friend of mine ploughed over the drainage ditches around his land to gain an extra 6 feet for planting. Hedges were also removed. For the first time in living memory, my friend and his neighbours were flooded.
2) A news report on a flooded estate, only built in the last year, stated that it had been built on a flood plain!
3) Because of past flooding, a lot of towns have built flood defenses. Lovely for them but all that water has to go somewhere...
The next town probably...

Spot on! Flood plains act as masive sumps for excess water - it has to go somewhere! We have a local guy who has bought a large field which was below road level, and often became waterlogged. With the approval and connivance of the local council he has now used rubble to raise the level of the field above the road - I will bet money that this road will now become a flood hazard. Why don't people think before they act?

Environmentalists and Politicians will tell you that Global Warming is to blame for the recent 'extreme' weather here in the UK. Well, its good for a few votes!
And they will also tell you that cars, trucks, industry etc. is the cause for Global Warming!
Next time you hear that, ask for the data that supports these conclusions. Should be interesting....
Reliable weather data has been collected since 1766, thats not very long...
In 1852, England and Wales experienced 455.8mm of autumn rainfall. This autumns total so far is 460mm, less than 1% more than 148 years ago...
(Data from Met. Office records)

Now, weren't there a few less cars on the road 150 years ago???
Who's to say that every 150 years or so we have extremely wet autumns!!!
The truth is (and few will admit it), 'WE DONT KNOW'.

And if you think you can predict what will happen in 100 years based on the data we have... ask a weather man to tell you, accurately, what the weather will be a week on Wednesday!!!

Hear, hear, wahey and associated nonsensical rambling!