We, Cliff Harris and Randy Mann, believe that the warming and even the cooling of global temperatures are the result of long-term climatic cycles, solar activity, sea-surface temperature patterns and more. However, Mankinds activities of the burning of fossil fuels, massive deforestations, the replacing of grassy surfaces with asphalt and concrete, the Urban Heat Island Effect, are making conditions worse and this will ultimately enhance the Earths warming process down the meteorological roadway in the next several decades.
During the early 1970s, our planet was in the midst of a colder and drier weather cycle. Inflationary recessions and oil shortages led to rationing and long gas lines at service stations worldwide. The situation at that time was far worse than it is now, at least for the time being.
The Weather Science Foundation also predicted, based on these various climate cycles, that our planet would turn much warmer and wetter by the early 2000s, resulting in general global prosperity. They also said that we would be seeing at this time widespread weather extremes. Theres little doubt that most of their early predictions came true.
Our recent decline in the Earths temperature may be a combination of both long-term and short-term climate cycles, decreased solar activity and the development of a strong long-lasting La Nina, the current cooler than normal sea-surface temperature event in the south-central Pacific Ocean. Sunspot activity in the past 18 months has decreased to the lowest levels since The Little Ice Age ended in the mid-to late 1800s. This "cool spell," though, may only be a brief interruption to the Earths overall warming trend. Only time will tell.
Based on these predictions, it appears that much warmer readings may be expected for Planet Earth, especially by the 2030s, that will eventually top 1998's global highest reading of 58.3 degrees. Its quite possible we could see an average temperature in the low 60s. Until then, this cooling period may last from just a few months to as long as several years, especially if sunspot activity remains very low.
We at Harris-Mann Climatology,
www.LongRangeWeather.com, believe that our prolonged cycle of wide weather extremes, the worst in at least 1,000 years, will continue and perhaps become even more severe, especially by the mid 2010s. We should see more powerful storms, including major hurricanes and increasing deadly tornadoes. There will likewise be widespread flooding, crop-destroying droughts and freezes and violent weather of all types including ice storms, large-sized hail and torrential downpours.
We are already seeing on virtually every continent an almost Biblical weather scenario of increasing droughts and floods. In both the southwestern and southeastern corners of the U.S, there are severe water shortage problems associated with chronic long-term dryness. In some cases, the water deficits are the worst in at least 400 years.
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