Weather Information

[Sav]

A-D's "Local News in PO" feature suggests that a heatwave is on the way,citing that the 35 deg attained at Perp airport last week was the hottest since 1935.

I'm not an expert,but surely it surpassed 35 deg during the canicule (heatwave) of 2003?

Hi john, i have just gone back through the records for 2003
How could i resist
You are right, that 35°C was exceeded in that year.
Now i don't know where Perpignan's airports temp sensors are situated
But there must be a lot of heat about in that sort of area

On the 30th June 2009
35.8°C was reached
http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2009

June 2003
http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2003
36.8°C on the 21st

July 2003
http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2003
37.6°C on the 11th

August 2003
http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2003
38.2°C on the 6th

Cheers Sav

[Kate]

Sorry. My fault for rushing it. It should have read 'for this time of year'
Here is the actual article from La Clau online but as you can see I summarised it to death!!

Un phénomène de canicule, selon la définition considérant trois jours consécutifs de grosses chaleurs nocturnes et diurnes, apparaît en ce tout début d'été en Pays Catalan, selon les derniers relevés météorologiques établis ce lundi. A 14h, le centre Météo France, établi sur la zone aéroportuaire de Perpignan-Rivesaltes, enregistrait une température de 35,1°, qui dépasse un précédent record de 34,9%, observé en 1935. Au même moment, les secteurs épargnés par le vent de marinade, qui rafraîchit l'air estival sur le littoral et le flanc maritime de la plaine du Roussillon, atteignaient également des sommets : sous un soleil de plom, la chaleur était de 34,1° dans la commune de Vivès, situé dans la zone de l'Aspre, tandis que le village d'Eus, dans la région du Conflent, affichait 31,6°. Dans la région du Fenouillèdes, la commune de Saint-Paul de Fenouillet a atteint 33,6°, avec une prévision de 35° de température maximale pour ce mardi, d'après les pronostics officiels. La chaleur, qui devrait persister dans les parties basses du département des Pyrénées-Orientales tandis que les régions de Cerdagne, Capcir, Conflent et Vallespir, devraient connaître la pluie, tend à préciser une période pré-caniculaire

[Kate]

Wow! I'd love to send that into the French news and say that our Savnav knows what he's talking about better than them - and you do! You've been pretty spot on with the weather most days. Incroyable!!

Babelfish can be quite good for a gist translation on a simple article but it can also give you totally the wrong end of the stick with literal or mis translations of words. Here is Bables trans of this article

A phenomenon of heat wave, according to the definition considering three days consecutive of night and diurnal hot seasons, appears in this whole d' beginning; summer in Catalan Country, according to the last weather statements benches this Monday. With 14:00, the center Weather France, established on the airport zone of Perpignan-Rivesaltes, recorded a temperature of 35,1°, which exceeds a preceding record of 34,9%, observed in 1935. At the same moment, sectors saved by the wind of marinade, which refreshes l' estival air on the littoral and the maritime side of the plain of Roussillon, also reached tops: under a sun of plom, the heat of 34,1° in the commune of Sharp, was located in the zone of l' Aspre, while the village d' Have, in the area of Conflent, 31,6° posted. In the area of Fenouillèdes, the commune of Saint-Paul de Fenouillet reached 33,6°, with a forecast of 35° of maximum temperature for this Tuesday, d' after the official forecasts. The heat, which should persist in the low parts of the department of the Eastern Pyrenees while the areas of Cerdagne, Capcir, Conflent and Vallespir, should know the rain, tends to specify one pre-canicular period

Of course, it doesnt help when there are mistakes in the original article eg 'sous un soleil de plom' should have been plomb meaning in very hot sunshine, but in general, I think that non french speakers will probably understand the french version as well as the English trans - meaning not a lot!!

[thumbelina]

This is quite interesting

Valeurs remarquables de juillet en Pyrénées-Orientales

TMax : 40.5°C (Perpignan le 07/07/1982)

TMin : 11.2°C (Perpignan le 04/07/1925)

Précip : 45.0 mm (Perpignan le 23/07/1959)

[Sav]

Hi all

There are some good webcams here, for the Argeles area.

http://webcam.argeles-sur-mer.com/

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

Here are the Perpignan stats for July
The monthly temp totals are an average

July 2009

Maximum Temp - 29.9°C
Minimum Temp - 19.8°C
Rainfall - 18.2 mm
Sunshine - 269 hours

The maximum temp was recorded on the 22nd
35.6°C
The minimum was recorded on the 11th
15.8°C

http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2009

July 2008

Maximum Temp - 28.9°C
Minimum Temp - 18.9°C
Rainfall - 14.2 mm
Sunshine - 293.6 hours

The maximum temp was recorded on the 27th
33.3°C
The minimum was recorded on the 8th
15°C

http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2008

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

Here are the Perpignan stats for August
The monthly temp totals are an average

August 2009

Maximum Temp - 31.3°C
Minimum Temp - 20.6°C
Rainfall - 10.8 mm
Sunshine - 310.7 hours

The maximum temp was recorded on the 14th
36.4°C
The minimum was recorded on the 31st
16°C

http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2009

August 2008

Maximum Temp - 29.4°C
Minimum Temp - 18.9°C
Rainfall - 6.6 mm
Sunshine - 269.2 hours

The maximum temp was recorded on the 4th
35.1°C
The minimum was recorded on the 16th
14.2°C

http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2008

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

Here are the Perpignan stats for September
The monthly temp totals are an average

September 2009

Maximum Temp - 26.9°C
Minimum Temp - 16°C
Rainfall - 11.8 mm
Sunshine - 244.9 hours

The maximum temp was recorded on the 24th
30.4°C
The minimum was recorded on the 7th
11.6°C

http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2009

September 2008

Maximum Temp - 24.4°C
Minimum Temp - 15.3°C
Rainfall - 15.6 mm
Sunshine - 222.3 hours

The maximum temp was recorded on the 3rd
35.6°C
The minimum was recorded on the 28th
9.4°C

http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2008

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

Some interesting stats here, regarding increasing snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere.

http://moe.met.fsu.edu/snow/

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

Thought you might be interested in this story & you may have read about it.
Remember those marooned Polar Bears

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw5WdmuG ... re=related

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

Now if you wanted to beat the rainfall record

http://france.meteofrance.com/france/ac ... t_id=47251

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Interesting. So what's all this bullshit being spouted at the moment that the north pole will not be there during the summer months, in a few years time????

Frankly, I confess to being absolutely unconvinced that global warming is happening. Weather is cyclical. That's it. (I think!)

The statistic you quote above, just proves this, to my mind.

Hi thumbers

There are some & i count myself in this category, who do not go along with this climate change convoy.
Its been discussed on other forums & more people are starting to speak out regarding this subject.
Its difficult to forecast a few days of weather, let alone be able to say what will happen in 20-30 years time
Hopefully i will be able to give you some info here & you can make your minds up
The media is too one sided & in order to get the other side of the story is not easy.
Don't be suprised to read that its cold because of climate change, anything to justify what they say, i mean what have they got to lose
But yes climate does run in cycles
C02 has been here many moons ago, its needed for plants to grow
Its been warm in the past & its been cold
Mother nature will do what she wants
Instead of warming, i think we are going towards a cooling trend
Watch this space

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

here's a little link to C02 & its benefits

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nkma7RO4Q24

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

Take some time out to watch this video
It analysis Al Gores film An Inconvenient Truth

Part 1 & Part 2
The 2nd part will start, when the first part ends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgQX3ndQ ... PL&index=1

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

Some of you may have seen this programme on Channel 4
Its interesting viewing, so set aside some time to watch it if you can.

http://www.documentarytube.com/?p=114

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

Another interesting article

Quote: THERE is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. And, who would have thought it, but here comes the BBC in sackcloth and ashes.

Always in the past, the corporation has not allowed the argument against the global warming hypothesis to be put – arguing that the issue is so serious that it would be wrong to broadcast anything which might encourage the slightest doubting of the dogma that the earth is warming up catastrophically.

But now, in the holy of holies, the BBC weather website, Paul Hudson, the likeable northern weatherman, tells us that the temperature has not risen since 1998. He says: “It is true. For the last 11 years we have not observed any increase in global temper-atures.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/featur ... n_warming/

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

Some more interesting info to digest

A Russian scientist's fear of a temperature drop

Quote: Observations of the Sun show that as for the increase in temperature, carbon dioxide is "not guilty" and as for what lies ahead in the upcoming decades, it is not catastrophic warming, but a global, and very prolonged, temperature drop. [...] Over the past decade, global temperature on the Earth has not increased; global warming has ceased, and already there are signs of the future deep temperature drop. [...] It follows that warming had a natural origin, the contribution of CO2 to it was insignificant, anthropogenic increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide does not serve as an explanation for it, and in the foreseeable future CO2 will not be able to cause catastrophic warming. The so-called greenhouse effect will not avert the onset of the next deep temperature drop, the 19th in the last 7500 years, which without fail follows after natural warming. [...] We should fear a deep temperature drop -- not catastrophic global warming. Humanity must survive the serious economic, social, demographic and political consequences of a global temperature drop, which will directly affect the national interests of almost all countries and more than 80% of the population of the Earth. A deep temperature drop is a considerably greater threat to humanity than warming. However, a reliable forecast of the time of the onset and of the depth of the global temperature drop will make it possible to adjust in advance the economic activity of humanity, to considerably weaken the crisis.
http://www.climatedepot.com/a/3515/Prom ... al-warming

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

That's interesting Sav!

Ha ha! Looks like I'll have skiing on my doorstep in the future, then!!! lol

John and Pol will be moving permanently to chavland though!

It would be nice if the media gave us both sides to the story
All we ever get is carbon footprint, polar bears stranded etc etc
An even debate is what i say, then people can decide.
I suppose you can guess what i think

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

With all this talk of snow and Kate mentioning in her blog that there was snow briefly on Mt Canigou last week it set me thinking about temperature and altitude.

I think that on average temperature changes -2 degrees celsius per 304.8 meters. So if you were paddling in the sea in Argeles where according to your forecast it was 21 degrees today and I had climbed to the summit of Mt Canigou (2784 m) and there was a clear sky over all of the PO would it be 11.87 degrees at the summit? Or is it more complicated than that?

Hi Eamon

Can i leave this with you
http://daphne.palomar.edu/jthorngren/mountain.htm

Cheers Sav

[thumbelina]

I looked at it and lost the will to live, Sav, sorry!

I thought it was, as a rough guide, 1° for every 100m. Is that not so?

I think that on average temperature changes -2 degrees celsius per 304.8 meters. So if you were paddling in the sea in Argeles where according to your forecast it was 21 degrees today and I had climbed to the summit of Mt Canigou (2784 m) and there was a clear sky over all of the PO would it be 11.87 degrees at the summit?

Please excuse me if I appear to be a bit thick, here - and bear in mind I am TOTALLY useless at maths - but doesn't your formula then suggest that Argeles is situated at around 1200 m above sea level Eamon??????????

[thumbelina]

Two weather stories in this week's La Clau

L’arrivée retardée de l’automne 2009 a été confirmée dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche par un record absolu de température observé en plaine du Roussillon. Le centre météorologique de l’aéroport de Perpignan-Rivesaltes, propriété de Météo France, a en effet relevé une température nocturne de 19,7°, la valeur la plus élevée depuis la création des services d’observation en Pays Catalan. Cette nuit la plus chaude jamais enregistrée pulvérise le précédent record, de 16,9°, consigné à la date du 25 octobre 1913. Les heures qui ont suivi, au fil de ce dimanche aux allures printanières, a occasionné des températures, également élevées pour la saison, proches ou égales à 25° dans la partie intérieure de la plaine du Roussillon. Ce lundi et ce mardi, les températures les plus fortes dans les Pyrénées-Orientales devraient perdre 2 à 3°, pour atteindre 23° puis 22°, et se rapprocher des normales saisonnières. Concernant la période, au niveau diurne, la station de Météo France à l’aéroport de Perpignan a relevé une température record de 34,2° le 3 octobre 1985.

Les premières chutes de neige significatives de cet automne, survenues mercredi et jeudi, recouvrent déjà certaines stations de ski. Le courant d'Est et les températures négatives ont en effet favorisé conjointement l'apparition d'un tout premier manteau neigeux dans plusieurs stations des Pyrénées situées au-dessus de 1600 mètres d'altitude, qui ont bénéficié, au fil des heures de jeudi, de précipitations appréciables. Dès 2000 mètres et au-delà, l'épaisseur de neige s'avère même importante, avec des cumuls de 10 à 15 centimètres. Ces conditions permettent à la direction de la station de Masella, en Basse Cerdagne, de prévoir l'ouverture de son domaine skiable autour du 15 novembre, tout en renouvelant sa performance de l'année dernière, lorsque de superbes chutes de neige, produites le 31 octobre, avait permis à la première station d'être la première de l'ensemble du massif à ouvrir ses portes. Ces premières neiges constituent une sous-couche, qui permettra de nouvelle accumulations, d'origine naturelle ou issues de la production artificielle.

Actually, this second one if really funny! The Director of Masella, heartily encouraged by this heavy early season snowfall, took the bull by the horns and announced the opening of the resort from 15 November (subject to weather conditions!). If you go to the Masella webcam there is not ONE pocket of snow to be seen!!! lol http://www.masella.com/index.php

Looks like grass skiing is the order of the day at Masella this November!

Talk about jumping the gun!

[Sav]

Hi all

Here's an interesting piece

http://factsnotfantasy.blogspot.com/200 ... -jerk.html

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

Here are the Perpignan stats for October
The monthly temp totals are an average

October 2009

Maximum Temp - 22.4°C
Minimum Temp - 13.3°C
Rainfall - 49.8 mm
Sunshine - 231.3 hours

The maximum temp was recorded on the 1st
28.7°C
The minimum was recorded on the 19th
2.1°C

http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2009

October 2008

Maximum Temp - 21.2°C
Minimum Temp - 12.2°C
Rainfall - 6.4 mm
Sunshine - 188.9 hours

The maximum temp was recorded on the 14th
28.1°C
The minimum was recorded on the 30th
2.3°C

http://www.meteociel.fr/climatologie/vi ... annee=2008

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

Another side to the story
http://www.kusi.com/weather/colemanscor ... 42304.html

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

Oh dear

Quote: In a new development that is potentially devastating to the agenda to introduce a global carbon tax and a cap and trade system, Al Gore admits that the majority of global warming that occurred until 2001 was not primarily caused by CO2.

Before we get too excited, Gore is not backing away from his support for the theory of man-made climate change, but his concession that carbon dioxide only accounted for 40% of warming according to new studies could seriously harm efforts to tax CO2, that evil, life-giving gas that humans exhale and plants absorb.
http://minnesotansforglobalwarming.com/ ... rming.html

Now we are going to pick on the cows

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

A bit more reading for you

Quote: Professor Ian Plimer, a geologist from Adelaide University, argues that a recent rise in temperature around the world is caused by solar cycles and other "extra terrestrial" forces.

He said carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, widely blamed for global warming, is a natural phenomenon caused by volcanoes erupting.

"We cannot stop carbon emissions because most of them come from volcanoes," he said. "It is a normal element cycled around in the earth and my science, which is looking back in time, is saying we have had a planet that has been a green, warm wet planet 80 per cent of the time. We have had huge climate change in the past and to think the very slight variations we measure today are the result of our life - we really have to put ice blocks in our drinks."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthn ... rming.html

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

A look back at some past weather events
Plenty of snow for France

Quote: Du 17 au 20 novembre 1952, des chutes de neige parfois abondantes et précoces pour la saison blanchissent une bonne partie de la France, notamment la région parisienne.
http://www.meteo-paris.com/almanach/?d=1118

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

It was 6°C warmer long ago

Quote: Temperatures in Antarctica during warm periods between ice ages soared to up to 6C warmer than the present day, a study has shown.

The findings could help us understand more about rapid climate changes, scientists said.

Until now temperatures during the warm periods between ice ages - known as interglacials - were thought to be only slightly warmer than those of the present day, British Antarctic Survey (BAS) scientists explained.

But the findings, published this week in journal Nature, show brief spikes in temperature, which recur roughly every 100,000 years and last a few thousand years, seem to have been a lot warmer.

The new findings could help scientists predict how any melting of ice in the future could affect sea levels.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/enviro ... today.html

Bet you never heard that on the news
Note: no mention about how that affects the current position, regarding C02 & its relation to temps.
Of course there were no cars, factories etc to influence these changes.
Just Mother Nature

Cheers Sav

[Sav]

Hi all

You may have missed this in the news the other day, probably because it was a low key news item.
Well it does not fit the current agenda, as the Climate train hurtles on
This news coming close to next months Copenhagen Climate Conference, which may cause a few to wonder

Quote: If you own any shares in alternative energy companies I should start dumping them NOW. The conspiracy behind the Anthropogenic Global Warming myth (aka AGW; aka ManBearPig) has been suddenly, brutally and quite deliciously exposed after a hacker broke into the computers at the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit (aka Hadley CRU) and released 61 megabites of confidential files onto the internet. (Hat tip: Watts Up With That)

When you read some of those files – including 1079 emails and 72 documents – you realise just why the boffins at Hadley CRU might have preferred to keep them confidential. As Andrew Bolt puts it, this scandal could well be “the greatest in modern science”.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/james ... l-warming/

Time will tell what impact this has, but it may help to get a two sided debate on this subject, rather than the way it is currently.

Cheers Sav

[thumbelina]

So much for global warming!

Valeurs remarquables de décembre en Pyrénées-Orientales

TMax : 26.7°C (Perpignan le 29/12/1925)

TMin : -6.3°C (Perpignan le 27/12/1931)

Précip : 184.4 mm (Perpignan le 14/12/1932)