The middle of February witnessed a UK wide demo by the younger generation taking a day off school to raise the issue of Climate Change which threatens their futures and the well-being of the planet. Although directed at the Government, the UK has lead the World by reducing emissions by over 40% since 1990 whilst the USA, China and South America continue to be the major polluters burning fossil fuels.
In the UK the Met-Office Climate Prediction of 2018 predicted hotter,drier summers (rainfall down 47%) with temperatures up by 5.4 centigrade by 2070 and warmer, wetter winters(rainfall up 35%).
The forecast for 2019 expects it to emerge as the hottest in the last 5 years. Locally 2019 has already been exceptionally dry with January recording only 16.7mm (30% of average) and February 19.7mm (47% of average) rainfall respectively. As I write the weeks temperatures are expected to rise towards the 1998 record of 19.7 centigrade.
J.Arnold
The Nether Heyford Prattler 