Climate Change Is Fueling Extremes, Both Hot and Cold

The possibility of snow in Tampa, Fla. Record heat and fires in Australia. Scientists say climate change is exacerbating weather extremes. On a typical winter day, the Arctic air that has gripped much of the United States this week should be a few thousand miles to the north, sitting atop the North Pole. But as man-made climate change continues to disrupt global weather patterns, that mass of cold air, known as , is straying beyond its usual confines. The escaped polar vortex is just one instance of extreme weather playing out right now around the world. With so much cold air much farther south than usual, typically frigid regions have become relatively balmy. While cold conditions in the U.S. have made headlines, Greenland and the Arctic have quietly had a remarkably mild winter, , a meteorologist at The Washington Post. Elsewhere, extreme heat is raging. Australia is reeling from a record heat wave that has , or about 49 Celsius, in some areas, leading to fires and power outages. In central Africa, brutal heat has shattered records in recent days, with countries north of the Equator hitting temperatures above 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Colder colds. Hotter hots. These are the intense bouts of unusual weather that scientists for decades warned would become more common with global warming. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and your Times account, or for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? . Want all of The Times? .