Record La Nina linked to climate change [View all]
(Australia)THREE of the nation's leading climate scientists have linked the past two years of record wet weather to climate change in their strongest findings yet on the impact of global warming on the nation's climate.
Professors Will Steffen, Matthew England and David Karoly, in a paper to be released today by the Climate Commission, find global warming may have contributed to the strength of the La Nina event and the heavy rainfall and flooding.
They also contend that the heavy rains do not contradict the trend towards drier weather for southern and eastern areas of Australia and find that despite two years of above average rains, southeast Australia continues to suffer from a cumulative rainfall deficit.
They reiterate warnings that global warming will produce longer dry spells, punctuated by heavier rainfall events, in southern and southwest Australia.
More: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/climate/record-la-nina-linked-to-climate-change/story-e6frg6xf-1226299759976
Paper: http://climatecommission.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/Climate-Commission-rainfall-final.pdf