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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
David Hambling

Melt rate of Greenland ice sheet can predict summer weather in Europe, scientist says

Meltwater flows from the Greenland ice sheet into the Baffin Bay. Dr Marilena Oltmanns of the UK National Oceanography Centre believes such freshwater events can be used to estimate the subsequent pattern of warm and dry weather over Europe
Meltwater flows from the Greenland ice sheet into the Baffin Bay. Dr Marilena Oltmanns of the UK National Oceanography Centre believes such freshwater events can be used to estimate the subsequent pattern of warm and dry weather over Europe. Photograph: Kerem Yücel/AFP/Getty Images

Long-range weather predictions are notoriously difficult, but a new paper in the journal Weather and Climate Dynamics suggests that the melt rate of the Greenland ice sheet can predict the next summer’s weather in Europe.

The chain of events is complex and other factors may interfere. But according to Dr Marilena Oltmanns of the UK National Oceanography Centre, lead author of the study, it goes roughly as follows:

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