Exotic killing cold 7th Feb

[MikeC]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... again.html

I'm seriously thinking about giving this style of gardening. I took it up on the belief the UK would be experiencing milder winters due to "man made" global warming, but it appears we are heading for a mini ice age.

[Nigel]

Mike as usual its half a story ..... yes the sunspot activity is worrying, but if you go to NASA website they say that the mini ice age wont happen because CO2 needs to be below 235ppm and its 350ppm. Our CO2 output is offsetting the suns lower activity.
Given the recent paper on effect of UV radiation from sunspots on the worlds jetstreams, it could be that this lack of activity is responsible for the poorer distribution of heat around the planet and greater extremes of hot and cold.
In summary you probably dont need to worry until cycle 25 in 2020

Also climate stats work on averages, so whilst the worlds temp now is same as 1997 , we have just passed through lowest solar minimum for 70 years (the period in question covers 2 solar lows and the lowest high for 70 years when to be statistically right it should cover 2 FULL cycles over 22 years ) if it doesnt go up over next 5 years then I think they could conclude the earth is cooling due to the suns lesser activity.

[Conifers]

I'm seriously thinking about giving this style of gardening. I took it up on the belief the UK would be experiencing milder winters due to "man made" global warming, but it appears we are heading for a mini ice age.

Or move somewhere else with milder winters, like Svalbard

[stephenprudence]

Exactly

Who wants to set up a money pool to buy a house in Svalbard with a garden so we can grow our exotics there?

[Conifers]

Get in quickly, the houses won't be expensive yet until lots more catch on. And you'll be able to fertilise your palms with polar bear dung, very effective

[Nigel]

Get in quickly, the houses won't be expensive yet until lots more catch on. And you'll be able to fertilise your palms with polar bear dung, very effective

Its very nice here in south brasil, any reasonable house offer accepted

[MikeC]

2020 is only 8 years away.

And the world is spending all it's money and effort decarbonising: ban cars, build wind farms, nuclear power, carbon capture schemes etc.

So the sun will be "dead" and our atmosphere devoid of Carbon.

[GoggleboxUK]

For Gods sake, don't write that on the Daily Mail website Mike, they'll use it for tomorrows headline and quote you as an expert.

[Nigel]

2020 is only 8 years away.

And the world is spending all it's money and effort decarbonising: ban cars, build wind farms, nuclear power, carbon capture schemes etc.

So the sun will be "dead" and our atmosphere devoid of Carbon.

Dont worry ,neither the yanks, chinese nor indians are willing to sacrifice their industries like we are, they will keep you warm, the UK industries will all be bankrupt from carbon taxes but at least you wont be in an ice age.

[Mr List]

by 2020 the tories could have thrown us out of our council house for not being
dead ,
i think i will enjoy what i can while it lasts.

we will just need to look in to better ways of protecting plants in the colder times.

[flounder]

Political statement alert!!!!
The only saving grace I can see so far with this cold snap is, its been extremely dry with it

[billdango]

It got down to -6c here in Southampton which was the coldest night since December 2010.

In that month it got down to -6.9c .

Tonight will be the same or lower but at least it got up to +5c max today with brilliant sunny skies.

Billdango

[MikeC]

Go knows the low tonight.

[Kristen]

We are -7C already. Clear skies.

2C at 14:00 to -7C at 20:00 Yesterday's fall
4C at 15:00 to -7C at 19:00 Today's fall

[flounder]

Last night, the temperature plummeted shortly after dark. Tonight its only -2c so maybe spring is on its way