April is a month that is certainly no stranger to bad weather. The old phrase “April Showers brings may flowers” has reminded generations that though the weather of April may be tough, it will always return to normal once the season change is complete. But a recent swarm of tornadoes across the Midwest followed by other unexplained weather phenomena has some wondering if this old adage is insufficient to cause the level of devastation seen this year. And some are suggesting it could be due to increased activity in the sun.
For years climatologists have debated whether the sun could have an effect on the weather here on Earth. But though the weather may not be entirely explained away by a simple season change, there are those who are suggesting there could be a cause coming from above – and if the sun is getting more violent then we could be looking at quite a ride ahead as we move into more turbulent periods ahead.
Religions putting an emphasis on the sun and its activities have been around for as long as humanity has had religion. It was one of the first things to ever be worshipped, and though sun worship is less active today, the logic of it is starting to make more sense as fears over a 2013 super storm from the sun are once again making the rounds. Even NASA appears more concerned now than it has been in years after announcing that 2013 could see a global Hurricane Katrina style event.
Just how profound are the effects of this event? Since last Thursday, according to a report in the LA Times, 241 tornadoes were recorded. And if another event like it occurs in the near future, we could be looking at one of the most active years in history as far as the sheer magnitude of tornadoes. But what could cause such a devastating catastrophe? Scientists have many pieces of the puzzle, but the big picture still remains elusive. And some say one of the big pieces of the puzzle could be the sun itself.
But if the sun is the cause of the trouble, how can homeowners protect themselves? How could we prepare when the cause of the problem is so far in space and so unreachable? In the future, scientists may discover the effects the sun has on Earth weather and put up a series of countermeasures designed to minimize bad weather in populated areas. If a class M solar flare contributes to bad weather, we could find a way to help shield the Earth from these flares during hurricane seasons to help ensure population centers are unaffected by the harsh winds and devastation that otherwise tear through peoples’ homes and livelihoods. And if we can do that, perhaps the world itself could be made a little safer. In the mean time, we may be expecting more like these in the future so the best thing to do is to stay informed and while hoping for the best, prepare for the worst.