Extreme weather and climate phenomena, including heat waves, cyclones, and floods, are manifestations of climate variability. These occurrences and occurrences influenced by climate change, such as wildfires, continue to significantly increase human morbidity and death and negatively impact mental health and wellbeing.
In 2019, there were 396 catastrophes worldwide, which resulted in 11,755 fatalities, impacted 95 million individuals, and cost over US$130 billion. Asia was the most severely afflicted continent, accounting for 40% of the incidents, 45% of the fatalities, and 74% of all affected individuals. 68% of those affected globally were due to floods and storms.
Extreme Events Impacted by Climate Change
The average global land surface air temperature has increased by 1.53°C since the preindustrial era (1850–1900), with a significant disparity in regional warming. This increase is significantly higher than the measured warming across land and oceans combined (0.87°C). Substantial variances in regional climate characteristics, especially extremes, are predicted by climate models. In most land regions, extreme events have become more frequent, intense, and prolonged from 1850 to 1900, according to the 2019 IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), Special Report on Climate Change and Land.
Extreme Heat Events
Climate change is likely making things worse when it comes to heat waves. Climate change has elevated the world’s average temperature, triggering heatwaves and other high-temperature extremes to occur more often. A heatwave that previously had a 1 in 10 probability of happening is now about three times more likely to occur than it would have been in the absence of climate change, culminating in temperatures around 1 degree Celsius higher. Proper planning needs to be done to fight off these events. Planning requires research and surveys, for example, those conducted by Mcdvoice.
A warming climate might increase the severity of heat waves by increasing the likelihood of extremely hot days and nights. Additionally, as the climate warms, more water evaporates from the ground, worsening droughts and extending the wildfire season. Due to an increase in the air’s ability to store moisture, a warming atmosphere is also linked to heavier precipitation events (such as rain and snowstorms).
India’s March of 2022 was the hottest on record going back 122 years. Although heatwaves are frequent in the months before the monsoon, this year’s early high temperatures and far less rain than usual have created very hot conditions that have terribly impacted agricultural and public health.
More Intense Floods
In its special report on extremes, the IPCC highlighted that it is becoming more and more apparent that climate change “has noticeably changed” a number of the water-related factors that cause floods, such as rainfall and snowmelt. In other words, even if global warming may not directly cause floods, it exacerbates many variables.
According to the Emergency Events Database, there were 10,009 disasters brought on by extreme weather from 1969 to 2018 that resulted in over two million fatalities and just under four million instances of disease. From 1969–2018, floods (47%) and storms (30%) were the most frequent extreme weather events worldwide, with an upward trend. We can adapt to these events with adequate planning, requiring individual input, e.g. from TellTheBell.
While north India faced scorching heat this year, areas of Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands experienced substantial rainfall in May. Additionally, the meteorology office issued a red alert for five districts in Kerala. And in the east, Assam’s Dima Hasao area has experienced many flash floods and significant landslides that have damaged rail and road connections.
