What Does Climate Science Say?

Climate science tell us about the links between climate change and extreme weather and what impact is this likely to have on future events

Here is some of what we know:

Heat waves: Numerous studies have documented that human-induced climate change has increased the frequency and severity of heat waves across the globe. In recent years, the frequency of heat waves has been increasing in many parts of the world, and the risk associated with extreme heat increases with further warming.

Storms and flooding: Floods are triggered and intensified by both weather- and human-related factors. Major weather factors, including heavy or prolonged precipitation, thunderstorms, storm surges from hurricanes are causing cities and coastal regions to flood more often. Human-induced warming is also adding to weather-related factors, increasing heavy downpours and causing more extensive storm surges due to sea level rise.

Wildfires: More than 100 forest and bush fires were recorded all over Southern Norway so far and some of them went out of control. In the US, 2018 fire season has produced a handful of big fires in California, Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado. Warmer temperature increases rate of evaporation, which means the atmosphere draws more moisture from soils, making the land bone dry. The world over, areas where wildfires are taking place are always areas that have become drier and hotter. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, wildfires could get four, five and even six times as bad as they currently are within this century.

Data source:

✸   Quartz.com
✸   Global News, Canada
✸   Down To Earth
✸   Guardian, UK
✸   New York Times, United States
✸   Washington Post, US
✸   Climate.gov
✸   Wx Shift
✸   The Weather Channel
✸   Mashable, India
✸   Daily News, New York
✸   Independent, United Kingdom
✸   BBC
✸   Al Jazeera
✸   New Zealand Herald
✸   ABC.net
✸   Daily Mail, United Kingdom