[Skybird]

As somebody already said: there is always fluctuation in natural phenomenons. This does not contradict a stabile trend. And this unusual April is just the latest unusual weather and season phenomenon over here in an already longer line of unusual weather and season phenomenons - since many years. We get all kinds of yearly records over here, from year to year new records, wether it be the ammount of rain, floodings, or droughts. Not always all records together, but over the years it makes a nice mixture.

Weather pohenomenons and seasons without doubt became more extreme. Germany knows the phenomenon of mini-tornadoes living only for seconds and at best pushing a tree since decades, all over the land there used to 20-30 of these, per year. Not worth to be mentioned. Since some years, we see much greater tornados. Not yet as many as of the mini versions, still not as big as the American ones, but several times more serious than in the decades before. Two years ago here in my hometown a street was demolished, house roofs were heavily damaged, and dozens of trees were killed. I don't remember the time, i think it was early last year when in Eastern Germany half of a complete village was heavily dmaaged and partially destroyed. For years ago my father was injured in Berlin when a sudden tornadoe haunted the plaza around the famous Gedächtniskirche and heavily damaged parts of the Europa-Centre, which is a high tower (little skyscraper), and devastated seveeral warehouses, cafes and shops. This is absolutely unsual for Germany. This is a new scale of destruction being done by tornados in Germany. The beasts live longer now, and have much more power.

Just look at that graphics Tchocky posted and you get the idea of fluctuations, and trends. the general global warmth level is higher today than it was back then. An extraordinary cold winter, a warm April or a rainy May does not change that fact. Fluctuatioins are a coinstant zigzagging of the curve. The trend describes a more stable longterm developement.

This year, in my region of Germany we had snow for just 6 hours, on one day. Last year we had two weeks of snow, masses of snow, even electricity broke down and powerline-masts got destroyed in greater parts of Germany, which is extremely unsual over here. Villages and whole cities were cut off, it was a real desaster, it took two weeks to get out of the worst and get all supplies, heating, water running again - not somewhere in a forsaken vally in the high Alpes, but in the flat Northern part of Germany! This does not change that the winters I see today are much, much warmer than they used to be during my schooldays 20-30 years ago. The last two summers were moderate, but 2003 was desastrous. But in a general trend the summers I see now are more dry and much hotter than they were during my childhood.

Fluctuation - and trend. Not difficult.