Whilst most people have known about global warming for a long time, throughout the past year the effects have become increasingly apparent.
The first event that comes to mind was the red sky which occurred in October 2017. The strange event was completely unknown to anyone, and many people joked that it was doomsday or judgement day. However, conspiracies were quickly debunked and scientists explained that the sky was due to Storm Ophelia bringing dust from the Sahara desert and smoke from wildfires that happened in Spain and Portugal.
Another, less remembered event was when there was hail in June 2017. While this is significantly less unusual than the red sky, it was still unusual. A month that usually is blisteringly hot was quite cold and wet for a part of it. The hail reinforced many people’s thoughts about global warming, as it made it clear that the climate was going through a rapid change. Lastly, the recent snow was another example of the strange weather. The beginning of March is usually known as the beginning of Spring, celebrated by St. David’s day, but this year, it was completely consumed by massive amounts of snowfall. It struck Dartford on Tuesday 27th February , with the snowfall causing many schools in the area to be shut down early to avoid students being stranded in traffic and school. The bad weather continued all week, with schools across the area being closed as the snow piled on and the temperatures dropped. The UK hadn’t experienced such low temperatures since 1991. Whilst the snow wasn’t unusual, the fact that it settled and the amount of it was shocking to many people.
