Summer

[yassa]

If the summer of 2006 was the best since 1947 and it's all due to global warming, did they have the same level of global warming in 1947 since the difference is splitting hairs?

[jake-the-peg]

It's not all due to global warming.

Global warming is a trend independant of what one summer here or there in one particular area of the world.

It is the average that's important.

Glaciers for example have beeen shrinking all around the globe for 100 years or so - that's not one or two hot summers doing that it's an overall rise in the average temperature.

It's a bit like seeing a big wave and saying "oh there must have been a storm out at sea" you can't do that on a couple of large rollers but if the average wave height is significantly larger over a period time then you've got a measurable effect.

[Bazile]

no doubt someone will correct me - but I seem to remember the summer of 1976 , I think ( in the 70,s any way ) being very hot .
I cant recall one being hotter since

[jake-the-peg]

The hottest temperature recorded in the UK was in 2003, breaking the previous record set in 1990