Nick Wijnberg, Foster Hunngton, Tucker Gorman Cape Town, South Africa Weather, Climate & Society – Fall 2009 33° 56' S 18º 29 E WEATHER CLIMATE CHANGE -the average high temperature is 70° F (21° C), in January and February The effects of climate change will be felt by people -the average low is 55° F (13° C), in July like this young boy in South Africa long before they -temperatures are cooler on Table Mountain's slopes and along the coast are felt by rich, white men wearing suits in -freezing occurs infrequently and there are many sunny days Washington or New York. The effects seen in South -on average, rain falls 69 days of the year GENERAL FACTS Africa show the widespread nature of climate -areas close to Table Mountain receive as much as twice the precipitation -South Africa’s 3000km coastline borders the Indian and change. Its not just heat and droughts– its as the rest of the region Atlantic Ocean uncharacteristic floods and snowfall too. -about half of the 26 inches of annual rainfall occurs between June and -the population of South Africa is 7 million people August, the southern winter -11 official languages -winds can be quite strong and come from the northwest in winter and -80% black, 9% white, 9% mixed, 2.5% Asian from the southeast and southwest in summer -growth in GDP since late 1990s -Democratic government since 1994 -Cape Town is the 2nd largest city with 3.5 million people FLOODING The worst flooding in 48 years struck South Africa TOURISM in the middle of August 2004 resulting in hundreds -the tourism industry has flourished since the end of of deaths and displacing 15000 people. Like with Apartheid -it is now one of the fastest growing sectors many floods, a country's poorer people were struck -adventure and action sports are growing more popular hardest with ghettos in the lowlands suffering the -wind surfers flock to South Africa for its high wind speeds worst from the record rainfall. Gail force winds in -the "Wild Coast" of Eastern Cape is known for ecotourism excess of 60 mph accompanied this rain. -Tiffindell is South Africa’s sole ski resort -Cape Town will host the 2010 FIFA World Cup DROUGHT From January through March of 2009 record droughts ravaged crops and drained water tables in the worst drought in nearly two decades. Near record high temperatures combined with unseasonably low amounts of rain. Cape Town weather averages for 2009 SNOW CLIMATE On June 27, 2007 the headlines of the -South Africa is a subtropical zone, nestled between the 22nd and 34th Johannesburg Star read, “Snowburg!” after the parallel at the tip of the African continent regions first snow accumulation in 25 years. The -our winter is their summer and vice versa Benguela Current drew cold waters up from the -the climate is made up of 5 major zones: Namib Desert, Fynbos, SHIPWRECKS arctic; these unseasonably cold temperatures Highveld, Karoo, and Drakensberg Known as the “The Shipwreck Coast,” the waters off of combined with a tropical maritime weather system, -Cape Town has a Mediterranean type climate South African have been historically treacherous for resulting in record snowfall in the Johannesburg -Table Mountain and the cold Benguela Current of the South Atlantic seafarers. The southernmost tip of the African continent is area. This record snowfall came little more than a Ocean are the biggest influences on Cape Town’s weather where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. It’s also a month after a cold front swept across the country, -The Benguela Current pulls cold water up from Antarctica popular shipping route connecting Asia and Europe. Here shattering 54 weather records in late May. -recently variability in climate has resulted in high highs and low lows in ocean currents of different directions, temperatures, and terms of temperature and rain fall densities collide to create rough conditions. High winds REFERENCES https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html -Southerly winds produce a cloud cover over Table Mountain known as exacerbate conditions creating a recipe for shipwrecks. http://blog.sa-venues.com/provinces/kwazulu-natal/wonderful-wild-coast http://www.southafrica.net/sat/content/en/us/south-africa the “tablecloth” Nearly 3000 ships have gone down in these waters. www.deat.gov.za/ParliamentUpdate/.../SAWS_ActNo8of2001-02092009.pdf http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d -these winds are collectively referred to as the “Cape Doctor” because Exploration of shipwreck sites is now a popular tourist http://www.sahra.org.za/shipwrecks.htm http://www.wunderground.com they keep air pollution at a low level attractions. Satellite_image_of_Cape_peninsula.jpg