MET OFFICE News
Release issued by COI News Distribution Service. 9 December 2008
Climate scientists
have confirmed links between the El Nino Southern Oscillation
(ENSO) - a natural oscillation in the Pacific Ocean - and the
weather over Europe in late winter.
A letter in Nature Geoscience published this week outlines Met
Office Hadley Centre findings. Scientists have extended computer
models into the upper atmosphere to show evidence of the
atmospheric link from the Pacific to Europe.
Sarah Ineson, climate research scientist at the Met Office says:
"We have shown evidence of an active stratospheric role in
the transition to cold conditions in northern Europe and mild
conditions in southern Europe in late winter during El Nino years."
ENDS
Notes:
* The Met Office Hadley Centre is the UK's foremost centre
for climate change research. Partly funded by Defra (the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and the
Ministry of Defence.
* The full text of the letter published in Nature Geoscience can
be found at http://www.nature.com/ngeo/index.html
* The Met Office is the UK's National Weather Service,
providing 24x7 world-renowned scientific excellence in weather,
climate and environmental forecasts and severe weather warnings
for the protection of life and property.
For more information please contact the Met Office Press Office
on 01392 886655