The extraordinary cold January 1940
needs to be explained.
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Extract from the book: “Climate Change & Naval War”, p. 25 According an analysis by the Neue Zürcher
Zeitung (NZZ, 14 January 1940) the development of cold conditions happened as
follows: Severe cold which flooded the whole of Europe in the course of
this week was by no means an accidental phenomenon that set in surprisingly.
It rather constitutes the peak of a development which had its beginning in
the first week of December. Towards its end high pressure began to stabilize
in North and Middle Europe, keeping away the low Atlantic cyclones from the
continent and diverting them mainly through Greenland and Iceland waters to
the Sea….As soon as occasional Atlantic depressions moved East through the
North and Baltic Sea, they were immediately replaced by entry of cold air
from the Greenland area.” Little convincing is the assumption
made shortly after WWII, that the “shift” to the severe winter conditions of
1939/40 was caused by a sudden build-up of a cyclone off the Lofoten on 20th
December 1939 (Rodewald, 1948). COMMENT: The usually moderate winter
conditions in Northern Europe depend on the high heat supply from the Gulf Current
(Norwegian Current), and the North and Baltic Sea. In January 1940 the heat
supply was obviously to low to prevent a months with temperatures up to 10° C
below the average, a clear indication of the role naval activities had on the
marine environment during the previous four months.
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Chapter: 2_12 |
Book Page: 25 |
File: 210_Scherhag_Jan40 |
Image: 2010/www.seaclimate.com |
This information is related to: http://climate-ocean.com/ (Chapter; see
bottom-left-box)