Last month was the 333rd consecutive month that global temperatures were above the 20th century average, and 2012 will almost certainly be the hottest ever recorded in the US. Hurricanes, heatwaves, wildfires and droughts blistered farmlands and ruined crops from Kansas to Assam, and Britain has had its wettest summer and driest spring to date. Nigeria, China and much of India and Australia have all had their worst floods in decades. In September the Arctic sea ice cover shrank 50% below the 1979-2000 average.

In a world where climate extremes come faster than ever, the World Bank has found common ground with Greenpeace. Last week, even as the World Meteorological Organisation reported that the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere had reached a record 394ppm, the bank warned that the world is on course for a 4C temperature rise which will consign most people to a very different and much less liveable world, and which will inevitably wreck economies and hopes of development.

The UN, too, estimated greenhouse gas emissions to be 14% above where they need to be to hold temperatures to a manageable 2C rise. The biggest corporations, including oil companies like Shell, want governments to introduce a carbon price and to seriously address climate change. Even Saudi Arabia and the oil exporters of Opec are considering levying a carbon tax to give to the UN fund that helps poor countries adapt to climate change.

Evidence of global warming mounts both on the ground and in science, but in the bubble world of international climate diplomacy, little happens. Countries have become less and less able to collectively address the crisis unfolding around them. When UN talks fell apart in Copenhagen in 2009, world leaders claimed they could cobble together a new binding agreement to cut emissions within six months. That became a year, then two years, and now the rich countries tell a bemused public that it will be 2015 at the earliest before a final agreement will be reached. Trillions of dollars can be found to bail out banks in a few months, but the world’s most experienced negotiators cannot find a way to get Americans, the British or anyone to just turn down the air conditioning or lag their roofs to reduce the amount of energy they use.

So what is the point of the massive UN climate talks which start on Mondaytoday in Doha, one of the most energy-profligate cities on Earth? Negotiators from 194 countries are meeting in an atmosphere of mutual mistrust. They are divided and frustrated, and know their political masters mostly seek only painfully slow progress. We already know rich countries will refuse to commit to any further cuts in emissions or to provide more money, just as we know the poor will try to cling to the few global climate agreements reached between nations years ago. There will be fights, tantrums, and righteous anger from the non-government observers and world media.

The blame for this miserable state of diplomatic affairs must be laid squarely on the US in particular and the rich countries in general. For three years now, they have bullied the poor into accepting a new agreement. They have delayed making commitments, withheld money and played a cynical game of power politics to avoid their legal obligations. The resulting distrust has fatally plagued the talks.

In 2009 the rich countries agreed to give $100bn by 2020 to help poor countries adapt to climate change. So far, they have not even provided the $30bn they promised as a down payment. Instead, they have offered less than the annual bonuses given in the City of London – and most of that in the form of loans, not grants. Led by the US, the rich have now wrecked the Kyoto treaty, the one international agreement that legally binds the rich to making cuts, and now it appears they want to ditch the Bali action plan, which commits the US and other countries to reduce emissions. Meanwhile Europe, after three years, still will not say what cuts it is willing to commit to even though the first phase of Kyoto expires in a few months and there is nothing in its place .

The time for such cynicism and parsimonious diplomacy must be over. Obama, trailing victory, missed the chance to lead the world at Copenhagen but can nowcommit the rich world to a generous agreement. Britain, who will send two ministers to Doha, can lead Europe. A new Chinese administration can be flexible.

The science and evidence of climate change is clearer than ever, the poor countries on the frontline of the immense changes taking place have done everything that was asked of them by the rich to cut their emissions. In short, there is little time left and no more excuses

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• Steven Morris in Bristol
• The Observer, Saturday 24 November 2012 17.13 GMT

Rescued from the rain: Diana Mallows, 90, had been stranded due to flooding at her home at North Curry near Taunton for four days. Photograph: Luke Macgregor/Reuters

The misery continued for thousands of householders and travellers as torrential rain once again pounded down on parts of the UK this weekend. More wet weather is on the way, but the Met Office says it may be replaced by a fresh hazard – ice and snow – later in the week.

Up to 60mm of rain is expected, much of it falling on ground already flooded after days of atrocious weather across southern England, the Midlands and Wales. Alerts were in place at notorious flood-risk hotspots including Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire and Upton upon Severn and Evesham in Worcestershire. Eight flood warnings were in place for the River Avon in the Midlands and four for the River Severn.

The Environment Agency believes around 400 properties in England and Wales have been flooded so far. It has sent out warnings to 9,000 homes and businesses. In all, 44 warnings (indicating flooding is expected) and 155 alerts (warning that flooding is possible) were in place as darkness fell on Saturday.

In Hertfordshire, police were searching for a man who is believed to have fallen into a canal in Watford after getting separated from his friends in fog. The 50-year-old was walking along a towpath in the early hours of Saturday. Fire crews searched the waist-deep canal but could find no sign of him.

An elderly man feared drowned in the River Thames at Sonning in Berkshire remains missing.

The south west of England and parts of south-east Wales were bearing the brunt of the rain on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Eddy Carroll, the Met Office’s chief forecaster, said: “The current very unsettled run of weather is set to continue, with further spells of wet and windy weather expected across the country over the next few days. Further rain moving in from the west on Sunday continues the risk for further flooding and travel disruption.

“Strong winds may add to the potential for travel disruption, especially across southern Britain. Winds gusting to 50 or 60 mph are expected across southern counties of England with severe gale or possibly storm force winds over the English Channel.”

The Met Office said it expected the weather to become drier and colder in most areas by the middle of the week, and overnight frost could bring the risk of some icy roads after the recent rain. It said that snow was possible in Scotland and northern and eastern England next weekend.

So far the only confirmed fatality has been a man who suffered a heart attack after being trapped in his vehicle when it became wedged under a bridge in Chew Stoke, near Bristol, but tales of motorists stranded in the floods continue to emerge.

Three elderly people were rescued from their car when it was swept down a swollen river near Alcester in Warwickshire on Friday. The silver Vauxhall Corsa was carried for more than 500 metres before a local farmer managed to bring it to the water’s edge, West Midlands ambulance service said. Firefighters using rescue boats pulled the two women and one man out of the windows. They were treated for shock and hypothermia.

Darron Burness, the AA’s head of special operations, said on Saturday: “With more heavy rain forecast across the Midlands, Wales and the south-west, road conditions in the affected areas are likely to only get worse as the ground is so saturated. Even if you think you know your local roads, don’t be complacent, as flash flooding continues to be a real risk and is catching people out.”

Work to clear a landslip at Mevagissey harbour in Cornwall has been completed, but the high winds and rain have meant very few fishermen have ventured out. Harbourmaster Hugh Bowles said: “Obviously fishing is completely weather-dependent, so it really does have an impact on fishermen wanting to get out on the water, particularly those with smaller, under-10-metre boats.”

Devon and Somerset fire and rescue service pumped 1m litres of water from fields below the Grand Western Canal near Tiverton after it burst its banks. Network Rail said trains were likely to be suspended between Exeter and Bristol until Monday because tracks have been flooded.

John Curtin, head of incident management at the Environment Agency, said: “We would urge people to continue to be prepared for flooding, sign up for Environment Agency flood warnings, keep up to date with the latest situation, and stay away from dangerous floodwater.

“Our teams have been out around the clock over the last few days to minimise the risks and prepare for flooding, and we are continuing to deploy teams across the country to keep communities safe.”

It was not only humans who were struggling with the conditions: a one-year-old monkey at the Wild Futures monkey sanctuary near Looe in Cornwall had to be resuscitated after falling ill in the wet weather.

The sanctuary has been badly hit by the conditions: trees have been brought down by the wind and parts of the centre flooded. The poor summer had already meant the charity was £60,000 worse off than last year. Hayley Dann, its fundraising manager, said: “It has been a really horrible couple of days.”

The misery continued for thousands of householders and travellers as torrential rain once again pounded down on parts of the UK this weekend. More wet weather is on the way, but the Met Office says it may be replaced by a fresh hazard – ice and snow – later in the week.

Up to 60mm of rain is expected, much of it falling on ground already flooded after days of atrocious weather across southern England, the Midlands and Wales. Alerts were in place at notorious flood-risk hotspots including Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire and Upton upon Severn and Evesham in Worcestershire. Eight flood warnings were in place for the River Avon in the Midlands and four for the River Severn.

The Environment Agency believes around 400 properties in England and Wales have been flooded so far. It has sent out warnings to 9,000 homes and businesses. In all, 44 warnings (indicating flooding is expected) and 155 alerts (warning that flooding is possible) were in place as darkness fell on Saturday.

In Hertfordshire, police were searching for a man who is believed to have fallen into a canal in Watford after getting separated from his friends in fog. The 50-year-old was walking along a towpath in the early hours of Saturday. Fire crews searched the waist-deep canal but could find no sign of him.

An elderly man feared drowned in the River Thames at Sonning in Berkshire remains missing.

The south west of England and parts of south-east Wales were bearing the brunt of the rain on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Eddy Carroll, the Met Office’s chief forecaster, said: “The current very unsettled run of weather is set to continue, with further spells of wet and windy weather expected across the country over the next few days. Further rain moving in from the west on Sunday continues the risk for further flooding and travel disruption.

“Strong winds may add to the potential for travel disruption, especially across southern Britain. Winds gusting to 50 or 60 mph are expected across southern counties of England with severe gale or possibly storm force winds over the English Channel.”

The Met Office said it expected the weather to become drier and colder in most areas by the middle of the week, and overnight frost could bring the risk of some icy roads after the recent rain. It said that snow was possible in Scotland and northern and eastern England next weekend.

So far the only confirmed fatality has been a man who suffered a heart attack after being trapped in his vehicle when it became wedged under a bridge in Chew Stoke, near Bristol, but tales of motorists stranded in the floods continue to emerge.

Three elderly people were rescued from their car when it was swept down a swollen river near Alcester in Warwickshire on Friday. The silver Vauxhall Corsa was carried for more than 500 metres before a local farmer managed to bring it to the water’s edge, West Midlands ambulance service said. Firefighters using rescue boats pulled the two women and one man out of the windows. They were treated for shock and hypothermia.

Darron Burness, the AA’s head of special operations, said on Saturday: “With more heavy rain forecast across the Midlands, Wales and the south-west, road conditions in the affected areas are likely to only get worse as the ground is so saturated. Even if you think you know your local roads, don’t be complacent, as flash flooding continues to be a real risk and is catching people out.”

Work to clear a landslip at Mevagissey harbour in Cornwall has been completed, but the high winds and rain have meant very few fishermen have ventured out. Harbourmaster Hugh Bowles said: “Obviously fishing is completely weather-dependent, so it really does have an impact on fishermen wanting to get out on the water, particularly those with smaller, under-10-metre boats.”

Devon and Somerset fire and rescue service pumped 1m litres of water from fields below the Grand Western Canal near Tiverton after it burst its banks. Network Rail said trains were likely to be suspended between Exeter and Bristol until Monday because tracks have been flooded.

John Curtin, head of incident management at the Environment Agency, said: “We would urge people to continue to be prepared for flooding, sign up for Environment Agency flood warnings, keep up to date with the latest situation, and stay away from dangerous floodwater.

“Our teams have been out around the clock over the last few days to minimise the risks and prepare for flooding, and we are continuing to deploy teams across the country to keep communities safe.”

It was not only humans who were struggling with the conditions: a one-year-old monkey at the Wild Futures monkey sanctuary near Looe in Cornwall had to be resuscitated after falling ill in the wet weather.

The sanctuary has been badly hit by the conditions: trees have been brought down by the wind and parts of the centre flooded. The poor summer had already meant the charity was £60,000 worse off than last year. Hayley Dann, its fundraising manager, said: “It has been a really horrible couple of days.”