Arctic sea ice melt 'may bring harsh winter to Europe'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/14/arctic-sea-ice-harsh-winter-europe


Unprecedented sea ice loss may bring a cold winter to the UK, say researchers. Photograph: John Giles/PA

The record loss of Arctic sea ice this summer may mean a cold winter for the UK and northern Europe. The region has been prone to bad winters after summers with very low sea ice, such as 2011 and 2007, said Jennifer Francis, a researcher at Rutgers University.

"We can't make predictions yet … [but] I wouldn't be surprised to see wild extremes this winter," Francis told the Guardian.

This year's ice melt has broken the 2007 record by an an area larger than the state of Texas.