Jan 7, 2010

Energy use surges from cold

LONDON - ICY conditions have driven a surge in energy demand in heavily populated parts of the northern hemisphere but some countries are enjoying a relatively mild winter, data shows.

Severe weather, partly due to the El Nino weather phenomenon, has frozen parts of north-west Europe that usually escape the coldest winter temperatures, driving gas demand to records in Britain and straining French power systems. In China there are energy rations.

'I think the impression is that because north Asia is cold, and parts of North America and Europe are cold people have tended to get the impression that the whole of the northern hemisphere is cold,' said Mr Robin Thwaytes, a forecaster at the Met Office, Britain's official weather centre.

'But that isn't the case. Generally it evens itself out in that for every area that is cold there are some areas that are very warm.' The Met Office's latest chart of global temperature anomalies indicates that Alaska and much of Canada are warmer than the long-term average for the time of year.

Freezing temperatures and heavy snow at the start of January is a shock for those parts of north-west Europe - France and Britain - that are usually shielded from the coldest weather that typically affects central and eastern Europe in midwinter.

Britain, which uses gas to heat two thirds of its homes, and France which relies on electric heating are the hardest hit as the relatively mild south-westerly winds that usually blow in from the Atlantic are nudged out by Arctic winds from the north. The weather, which has driven UK gas prices up sharply this week, is expected to last for another two weeks, draining European gas supplies. -- REUTERS

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_474471.html