Gulf Stream/colder winters????

[Tarrel]

Weakening of the Gulf Stream due to reduced salinity of the sea has been a doomsday scenario among climate scientists for quite some time. However, it seems to have been overtaken by the issue of melting arctic sea ice. This impacts the jetstream, which has a mach more immediate impact on our weather, in creating the high pressure blocking patterns that contributed to our late winter and cold spring.

The melting sea ice isn't the only factor affecting the JS. There is also a multi-decade cycle that affects it, but the melting ice is certainly a contributing factor. See http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/release...al-seasons

If the Gulf Stream goes, perhaps through increased glacier calving activity leading to dumping of fresh water into the sea, it will certainly impact on the UK's climate. As a comparison, I once heard we might end up like Labrador, which is a maritime location on the Canadian eastern seaboard, on a similar latitude to ours.