As I write this piece, there is a heavy down pour outside. The distant hills are shrouded in clouds. It’s only May, yet it looks like the monsoon rains have arrived. Shimla has an average of 5 rainy days during May but its rained almost every day and the weather forecast doesn’t look sunny. Browse through the weather sites and you will realize everywhere it’s the same story and I am not the only one complaining about the weather.
Even the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2007 report, admits, “The frequency of precipitation events has increased over most land areas”.
As I pour over the map showing global hazards and extremes in 2007, it shows a disturbing picture.
· Nome in Alaska was frost-free during June –Dec. its second longest frost-free season in over 100 years.
· The northern hemisphere recorded the third lowest snow cover extent on record for April and spring.
· U.K experienced the wettest may – June since records began in 1766.
· Zurich received its largest daily rainfall amount in 100 years and had its heaviest snowfall since 1955.
· Moscow recorded its highest temperature in May since 1891.
· Heaviest snowfall in china in 56 years.
· Strongest typhoon to hit Tokyo since 2002.
· 25 million people affected in S Asia by monsoon floods.
· Malaysia experienced worst flooding in decades.
· Sixth consecutive year of drought in Australia.
· Heavy rains and flooding in S America and Africa.
The list goes on and on and I wonder, if climate change is already upon us, there are more troubled times ahead.