1.4 Some aspects of climate have not been observed to change

Some aspects of climate appear not to have changed and, for some, data inadequacies mean that it cannot be determined if they have changed. Antarctic sea ice extent shows inter-annual variability and localised changes but no statistically significant average multi-decadal trend, consistent with the lack of rise in near-surface atmospheric temperatures averaged across the continent. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether trends exist in some other variables, for example the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) of the global ocean or small-scale phenomena such as tornadoes, hail, lightning and dust storms. There is no clear trend in the annual numbers of tropical cyclones. {WGI 3.2, 3.8, 4.4, 5.3, SPM}