Re:Cape Town could be the first city to run out of water
by SideburnsOfDoom on Thursday January 18, 2018 @06:30AM
(#16176311)
It should not be surprising that the effects of climate change vary from place to place as weather systems move or are disrupted.
Cape Town is at the bottom of Africa, but at 33.9° S it is roughly as far south as Tunisia and the Mediterranean, or Los Angeles, California are north. To pick other coastal places.
The climate is "Mediterranean" with rain in winter sweeping in over the sea from the west, and hot dry summers. (1)
But the area to the north of Cape Town, towards the equator is dryer, even along the coast. In fact it becomes harsh desert by the time you reach Namibia (2).
So it only takes a small shift of the weather systems away from the equator to impact the winter rainfall that reaches Cape Town.
Cape Town is at the bottom of Africa, but at 33.9° S it is roughly as far south as Tunisia and the Mediterranean, or Los Angeles, California are north. To pick other coastal places.
The climate is "Mediterranean" with rain in winter sweeping in over the sea from the west, and hot dry summers. (1)
But the area to the north of Cape Town, towards the equator is dryer, even along the coast. In fact it becomes harsh desert by the time you reach Namibia (2).
So it only takes a small shift of the weather systems away from the equator to impact the winter rainfall that reaches Cape Town.
1)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Town#Climate
http://www.capewatersolutions.co.za/rainwater-harvesting/cap...
2)
http://www.grainsa.co.za/images/Articles/2012-08/reenval_fig...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeleton_Coast