Today's News, Tomorrow's Lesson - January 8, 2014

Irena Barker

The holiday season is usually a time to eat, drink and be merry. But
in many parts of the world, extreme weather events have gotten 2014 off
to a grim start.

As the UK continues to be battered by a succession of unusually
devastating storms and floods, the US is in the grip of a freezing
“polar vortex”, plunging even southern states into freezing
temperatures.

In the Midwest, temperatures have fallen as low as -23ºF with the
wind chill making it feel as cold as -50ºF. Meteorologists have
stressed that at these temperatures frostbite can occur in a matter of
minutes.

As a result of the weather, schools have been closed, some cities
have banned cars from highways except in emergencies and flights have
been cancelled. Homeless shelters are reportedly “overflowing” as it is
too dangerous to step outside.

The polar vortex causing the cold is a cyclone of extremely cold air
formed near the North Pole. That is usually where it stays, but if
winds weaken it can spill southwards, bringing Arctic weather with it.

In the southern hemisphere, meanwhile, Australia is undergoing a
“highly significant” heat wave, with temperatures in some inland areas
smashing previous records. Oodnadatta in South Australia hit 117ºF last
week and Mount Isa in Queensland tipped the mercury at 117ºF. Parts of
Western Australia are even expected to top 122ºF on Thursday. This
follows a record-breaking heat wave last year, which was the hottest
since records began more than 100 years ago.

All this extreme weather has prompted immediate questions about
whether global warming caused by human activity is to blame.

Meteorologists say that one symptom of climate change is more
frequent extreme weather events of all kinds, from droughts to floods,
heat waves and cold snaps.

In the US, politicians have been eager to set a good example for
citizens and pull their weight during the freezing weather. Bill de
Blasio, New York City’s newly elected mayor, who took office only one
day before the blizzard arrived, shoveled his own piece of pavement in
front of television cameras.

via twitter.com