Predictions about climate changing coming true

[Martin W]

Piece in the Times has list of 10 major predictions on climate change that have come true, as well as 10 biggest changes to weather, and 10 animals / places that are most endangered.

Among predictions:

Quote:

1) That the Earth would warm as more CO2 was put into the atmosphere (Svante Arrhenius in 1893)

2) That we’d begin to see noticable changes to Earth’s climate by around 2000 (some IPCC scientists ).

3) That sea-level would start rising

among weather changes:

Quote:

1) Shorter winters

2) Less runoff into dams and reservoirs in many regions of the world

3) More violent and longer hurricanes

among most endangered animals / places:

Quote:

1) The glorious Cape Botanic province in South Africa, particularly the succulent Karoo flora.

2) Amphibians everywhere (a third of all species are already gravely endangered or extinct.

3) Coral reefs

Ten predictions about climate change that have come true
Here are the hard facts about global warming that everyone should know, compiled for Times Online by internationally acclaimed writer, scientist and explorer Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers: Our changing climate and what it means for life on earth

[Martin W]

From World Meteorological Association release:

Quote:

Weather and climate are marked by record extremes in many regions across the world since January 2007. In January and April 2007 it is likely that global land surface temperatures ranked warmest since records began in 1880, 1.89°C warmer than average for January and 1.37°C warmer than average for April. Several regions have experienced extremely heavy precipitation, leading to severe floods. The Fourth Assessment Report of the WMO /UNEP Intergovernmental Group on Climate Change (IPCC) notes an increasing trend in extreme events observed during the last 50 years. IPCC further projects it to be very likely that hot extremes, heat waves and heavy precipitation events will continue to become more frequent.
…
During the first half (June-July) of the Indian summer monsoon season, four monsoon depressions (double the normal frequency) caused heavy rainfall and floods in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Many stations reported 24-hr rainfall exceeding 350 mm. These monsoon extremes and incessant rains caused large-scale flooding all over South Asia, a situation that continues even now, resulting in more than 500 deaths
…
Cyclone Gonu, the first documented cyclone in the Arabian Sea, made landfall in Oman on 6 June with maximum sustained winds near 148 km/h. …
Heavy rains during 6-10 June ravaged areas across southern China.
…
In England and Wales the period May to July in 2007 was the wettest (406 mm) since records began in 1766, breaking the previous record of 349 mm in 1789.
…
Two extreme heat waves affected south-eastern Europe in June and July, breaking the previous records with temperatures exceeding 40 °C.
…
An increase in intense tropical cyclone activities in the North Atlantic since about 1970 has been observed.

The World Meteorological Organization reports on extreme weather and climate events

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