‘Stuck’ Weather
Recent extended heatwaves across Europe, North America and Asia are being driven by stalled weather patterns that are becoming more frequent due to record Arctic warmth, according to a new study by a team of international researchers.
It points to the polar region warming more quickly than any other part of the planet, which is slowing the jet stream and other large-scale planetary winds.
This means areas of high and low barometric pressure are getting stuck in the middle latitudes, resulting in longer periods of extreme weather, including heat waves.
Writing in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers say the more frequently stalled patterns turn sunny days into heat waves, dry conditions into wildfires and rains into floods.
No comments:
Post a Comment