According to a report in Il Giornale di Sicilia today [article unavailable online] 43.22% of Sicilian terrain is at high risk of desertification. This is mainly due, of course, to climate change, with extremes of drought on the one hand and floods on the other having been witnessed in recent years. But human activity, as usual, has not exactly helped the situation, with deforestation, fire, a concentration of crop cultivation in coastal areas only , salinisation and ill-advised use of water all contributing to the potential environmental disaster.
A letter from a reader published in the same paper laments the fact that we have a daytime temperature of 32 C whilst still in April and that "there are no seasons any more". People have started to bathe in the sea already, whilst this never used to be the case until the beginning of May.
For Sicilians, there is a "time for everything" and I believe they are right, reader.
FASHION NOTE: 32 C it may be but the women have not yet donned summer attire. The men, interestingly, have.
13 comments:
Climate change is worrying!
I am curious about the men's summer attire?
Some people seem to dismiss climate change. Here our lowest temperature last year in winter was 15c, I almost froze to death, even now at 26c am finding it chilly.
Hi, cherrypie. Well, they are all in lighter-coloured trousers and smart, crisp, cotton shirts. Sigh!! Nunyaa, I am entirely with you there! It's over 22 C indoors but I am cold!
Think we are spoilt with the warm weather, I MUST get to the Snow :-)
Does that mean the mean are wearing shorts and wifebeaters? Just kidding.
A letter from a reader published in the same paper laments the fact that we have a daytime temperature of 32 C whilst still in April and that "there are no seasons any more".
We have the highest April temperatures ever for this country.
Interesting, your post.
Hi, nunyaa. I miss snow but only to look at! Ciao, jmb. I must be getting old as I had to look up "wifebeaters"! Hi, James and thanks. What is the temp there now?
have you ever been to Malta? that is DEFINITELY desert or semi-desert... it's well dryer than Southern Spain (the only other part of the Med I've been apart from Morrocco) ... well, as I remember... also definitely a North AFRICAN island, not a European one. I'm surprised the tourist trade doesn't tout it as such... anyhow I was wondering if you HAD been how Sicily compared..? I'd always imagined Sicily to be like a Greek island... y'know kind of yellowy light green pretty dry over vast areas and in need of irrigation to grow food on any scale... am I right??
Despite having snow at Easter (It didn't last long) it's been a very mild winter here. If climate change is as radical as feared then it's going to be bad news for southern Europe
Hi, Gleds. Only once, about 10 years ago. I didn't know that about it being more like north Africa, climate-wise but I did knowe that there is a water problem there. Sicily is the most fertile island in the Med and though it does get , and look, very dry indeed in summer, so far we have been saved by the rain not doing it by halves when it does come. Hi, jmas. Yes, I fear it will be bad news indeed.
If it is 32c in Sicily already, how hot will it get during the peak of summer? Very worrying.
32 C ... I had to translate it into Fahrenheit, but good heavens! That's extraordinarily hot for April. Here it's been only about 45 F ... or 7 C.
Still, that's alarming.
Hi, ardent. 46 C!! Hi, Ruthie. Yes, incredible for this time of year.
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