Backgrounder
Backgrounder
Bleak December ends a turbulent year
Difference from mean sea level pressure (hectopascals) in December – the month was dominated by some of the strongest westerly and southwesterly wind flows on record. Map: Jim Renwick
The year 2004 will not be forgotten quickly. Extreme weather conditions, on many occasions unprecedented in the climate record, made it a hazardous year for weather and climate sensitive industries, and may have prompted revised assessments of natural hazard risk.