I received an interesting email recently. It contains hearsay so don't take it as The Truth, but a member of the MKWC team recently answered a question posed about why the recent weather has been so bad. The answer, it appears, is that we are currently experiencing La Nina conditions - this is the opposite to the more infamous El Nino.
What was more interesting, at least to me, was that the email summarised what climate modellers have been predicting over the last few months - clearly climate modelling is very difficult. Bear in mind these predictions were not from the MKWC people, just what they've heard:
Aug 08: possible development of a La Nina this winter
Sep 08: still a possibility of a La Nina forming
Oct 08: less possibility of a La Nina forming
Nov 08: models predict a weak La Nina but the climatologists aren't buying the prediction
Dec 08: models becoming insistent that a La Nina will form, meteorologists still don't believe the models
Jan 09: La Nina in full swing. Oops. Models predict La Nina will last into the summer of 09.
Feb 09: models predict a weakening La Nina in Feb to Apr and gone by the summer.
Mar 09: La Nina conditions persisting, models predict an end somewhere between May and July.
Apr 09: La Nina still here, should be gone by the end of June.
It does seem that the weather at the summit became really poor when the La Nina first set in and has remained consistently bad since then. We always get nasty weather at the summit during the winter, but this season has been particularly bad. Unfortunately, it may be with us for another couple of months although it gives me a chance to take yet more sunset photos...
2 comments:
At least with a megasurvey like UKIDSS, I know it will all come out in the wash. If this was my four nights as a traditional PI ...
It's that butterfly, you know. The one flapping its wings in on the Bahamas or something. But I'm happy with La Nina if she keeps giving us such stunning sunsets!
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