All El Nino related. And today, says the Clinton administration, you can add global warming to the list. Bowen explained Gore's contention, reporting that National Climatic Data Center figures show the first five months of 1998 are two degrees above normal. After a soundbite from NOAA's Tom Karl, Bowen noted that a computer forecast for the upcoming La Nina actually predicts colder than normal temperatures this winter. If it seems we're off to an unusually warm weather start it's not your imagination.
Temperatures are up, a lot.
The heat-wave will only continue through the summer, adding to the concerns about global warming. This is not a temporary condition. The consequences could be considerable. Viewers heard from Tom Karl and Al Gore before Hager reported that an analysis of tree rings discovered we're now in the warmest years in 600 years. The Weather Service predicts today we'll go to the opposite of an El Nino, an La Nina or cooling of the Pacific waters.