Horizon: What’s Wrong With Our Weather (BBC Four Thursday 8 February 2024)

In a thought-provoking episode of Horizon titled “What’s Wrong with Our Weather?” airing on BBC Four at 8:00 PM on Thursday, 8 February 2024, physicist Dr. Helen Czerski and meteorologist John Hammond delve into the topic of extreme weather patterns in Britain. As the country experiences increasingly severe and unpredictable weather events, questions arise about the causes behind these changes, their implications for the future, and their potential link to climate change.

The winter of 2013/14 stands out as particularly noteworthy. It was recorded as the wettest ever experienced in Britain, marked by relentless storms that battered the country for weeks on end. However, previous winters have also exhibited extreme conditions such as bitter lows reaching temperatures of minus 22 degrees Celsius.

Dr. Czerski and Mr. Hammond set out to unravel the mystery behind these unusual weather patterns and identify a common thread connecting recent extreme winters—the jet stream. This invisible atmospheric phenomenon functions as an air current flowing approximately 10 kilometres above ground level.

Of concern is that the behaviour of the jet stream has become increasingly erratic in recent times. Scientists are now working to comprehend what factors may be responsible for these changes in its dynamics.

During their investigation, Dr. Czerski and Mr. Hammond explore whether we should anticipate more frequent bouts of extreme winter weather in the years to come. By illuminating this issue from a scientific perspective, they strive to shed light on our understanding of how climate change potentially influences these meteorological shifts.

Originally broadcast on Thursday 17 July 2014, this episode offers valuable insights into our changing climate and presents viewers with an opportunity to contemplate how ongoing alterations in weather patterns might impact their lives moving forward.

Be sure not to miss “What’s Wrong with Our Weather?” airing on BBC Four at 8:00 PM on Thursday, 8 February 2024 for an exploration of an issue that affects us all.