OK, not just for Ramsbottom, although rumour has it that it could be renamed to “Ramsbottom Summer” predictor (da-dum-tish).
Last year, the BBC reported that scientists have “found a connection between sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic in March and April and the subsequent summer’s rain or shine.”
What does this mean for us I hear you say. Upon review of the paper, it states that the predictability of getting soaked whilst cooking food next to our rusty infrequently used barbecues is around 56% (0.56 where 1 is would be a perfect prediction and 0 would be just a guess).
If this becomes commonplace, this could change everything. Festivals would be prepared for bad weather in much more realistic ways to avoid a repeat of the Y Festival last year as well as better stocking of items in local shops such as sunhats if we’re going to have a great summer or fancy umbrellas for the expected rain.
[Read more…] about Boffins Develop “Wet Summer” Predictor for Ramsbottom