Sunspots and tosspots

Sun and Earth to scale. One of them is arrowed

From Click Green we hear that the sun may indeed have some influence on climate.

Scientists have long suspected that the Sun's 11-year cycle influences climate of certain regions on Earth. Yet records of average, seasonal temperatures do not date back far enough to confirm any patterns.

Now, armed with a unique proxy, an international team of researchers show that unusually cold winters in Central Europe are related to low solar activity – when sunspot numbers are minimal. The freezing of Germany's largest river, the Rhine, is the key.

But only in certain areas apparently. Well it's a start.