What's behind the weather chaos?

(CNN) -- Is the record-shattering heatwave that has been blamed for the death of thousands in Russia somehow related to the devastating flooding in Pakistan?

Are these disasters happening more frequently -- and are they a result of global warming?

Sometimes these connections can clearly be observed and understood. At other times they are more complex, taking place across time scales much longer than we are able to observe.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/weather/08/12/heat.floods.extremes/index.html?hpt=T2