In brief, the article said: (pardon my note-taking)
• Timing is key in hurricane forecasts. • Forecasters often issue predictions before the factors are in place. • The media treats these predictions as credible and official.
• it is impossible to (im)precisely predict this season’s hurricane activity in early April.
• A significantly above average season is predicted for 2010. • The season begins June 1 and runs through November. • There will be 15 named tropical storms: 8 hurricanes, (4 major); 69% chance one of the big ones will hit US coastline.
• The Climate Prediction Center does not issue a seasonal outlook until May 20. • Variables influencing the development of hurricanes do not show until April and early May. • Mostly due to the "spring barrier" -- a time of unstable transition when important meteorological factors are largely unknown and evidently unknowable.
• The seasonal outlook should not be used as a guide for preparation plans along the vulnerable coastal areas.
Then I went back and added these to my notes. No idea if it is really relevant or not.
I like studying weather. It's interesting, and it has always been a part of our lives, whether we like it or not.
Global warming, particularly, is in the media all the time. The wikipedia page on global warming is always updated with new information. My geography textbook [Raw, Michael (2009) "Global warming and climate change" OCR A2 Geography p.108-120] has over ten pages on this topic alone. As the awareness of this increased (via campaigns and events like Earth Hour), people become more conscious of their actions. And, ironically, more hypocritical.
...
This post is not meant as a lecture so I'll stop packing facts.
...but it's too warm in the room now...I want a ceiling fan.
