Disturbing heat record in 2014 – Dagsavisen

Disturbing heat record in 2014 – Dagsavisen

In 2014, the temperature was in Norway 2.23 degrees above normal, the warmest since records began over a hundred years ago. It emerged when the Norwegian Meteorological Institute yesterday took stock of the climate in Norway last year. The previous record from 2011 was beaten by 0.4 degrees.

– It is extremely. We rarely look so big leap. 2014 has been a very special year, says climate researcher Hans Olav Hygen at the Meteorological Institute.

Extreme

The high temperatures also contributed to many extreme weather events: We experienced the driest January month on over 100 year and it was an important contributory factor to the extensive fires in Laerdal, Flatanger and Freya.

Several places were set rainfall records. In the capital rained incredible 44 millimeters in one hour in June. In Western Norway were houses and streets washed away when it got over 300 millimeters of rain in three days in October. Several cases of extreme weather throughout the year, waterspout in Southern and record snowfall in the mountains also belongs to the picture.

Climate Researcher Reidun Gangstø by the Norwegian Meteorological Institute says 2014 weather worries.

– The increase in extreme weather and floods is related to the temperature rise. 2014 weather goes into a trend of increasingly higher temperatures and we fear more extreme weather events with this development, she said.

More rain and more intense rain, flooding, storm, landslide and a higher sea ​​level, is among the consequences scientists look for Norway at this development.

– Manmade

Researchers at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute is convinced that temperature change is man-made.

Leader Naturvernforbundet, Lars Haltbrekken, was present during the presentation. He says the presentation made an impression.

– We knew mostly from before, but watching the forecasts of how the weather will in the future, it makes a very strong impression on us too. We are a nation of people who are very excited to go skiing, but it is perhaps primarily rollerskis we shall take up in the coming years, he said.

Requires action

According to the forecasts are Norway’s future as a ski nation in danger. The snow depth has already slowed in the coast and in the lowlands, and this trend will only accelerate in the years ahead. Snow season will be shorter across the country.

– Now politicians must act. The government is bound to come with an ambitious climate policy, not only in words, as we have seen so far, but also in deed says Haltbrekken.

Also the world as a whole has experienced a warm year, but about 2014 will be the all-time warmest globally, or about the year ports on a second, or third, will first become apparent during the following weeks. (NTB)