Low solar activity suggests colder winters upcoming-UK scientists

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But won't be rushed into saying there's no global warming. Most climate guys would lose their jobs without global warming.

• 8/14, BBC: "Low solar activity link to cold UK winters," M. Kinver
  

"The UK and continental Europe could be gripped by more frequent cold winters in the future as a result of low solar activity, say researchers.

• They identified a link between fewer sunspots and atmospheric conditions that "block" warm, westerly winds reaching Europe during winter months.

But they added that the phenomenon only affected a limited region and

• would not alter the overall global warming trend. ('Overall' ?)
  

The findings appear in the journal Environmental Research Letters....

While the current decline in solar activity is expected to continue in the coming decades, he cautioned that more frequent "blocking" episodes would not result in Europe being plunged into sub-zero temperatures every winter. ...

• Responding to the team's findings, Dr Peter Stott, head of climate monitoring and attribution at the UK Met Office, said:

• "This paper provides some additional evidence that what happens in the stratosphere could be important for climate at the surface."

But he added: "The findings are suggestive of a possible effect

• but more research is needed to pin down the mechanisms
  

• and determine how significant such effects could be for determining the probability of cold winters in the UK.

"At the Met Office, we are already working on research into incorporating

• better representation of the stratosphere into our seasonal and decadal forecasting models."

Professor Lockwood said he now planned to examine the

• influence of low solar activity on European weather
  

• during the summer months."

photo from NASA, caption from article,

• "A period of low solar activity could lead to more cold winters in the UK"