Extreme weather conditions have become more frequent due to climate change – NASA research

The intensity of floods and droughts has increased dramatically over the past five years. This is confirmed by new NASA data, UNN reports. Conclusions supported by accurate satellite data.

Details

NASA is sounding the alarm: according to a new study, extreme events are becoming more frequent, longer and more severe. The cause of the obvious trend is climate change. Over the past 5 years, the intensity of natural phenomena such as storms, droughts, floods, devastating heat waves and unusual cold snaps has increased significantly. The indicators of all the above are at the "red" level.

If the increase in extreme events was predicted earlier, now this trend is observed in reality, experts of the Meteorological Bureau say.

The new data was co-authored by Dr. Beiling Li from the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He is a member of the Interdisciplinary Earth System Science Center at the University of Maryland.

We cannot yet prove causality - we will need a much larger data set. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what is happening here, but other events indicate that (global) warming is a driving factor. We are seeing more and more extreme events around the world, so this is definitely alarming,

It should be noted that the data of the study have not yet been peer-reviewed. However, the researchers say that it will take them another 10 years or more to confirm them in order to finally name this trend.

Reference

Researchers used a mathematical formula to calculate the overall impact of weather events in terms of severity. The formula is measured by the total area affected by weather events. Also among the indicators: the duration of the phenomenon; how "wet or dry it was".

Key warning from the authors of the study:

Disruption of the water system will be one of the most significant consequences of the climate crisis

The intensity of extreme events is closely correlated with the average global temperature, more than with El Niño, an influential ocean current, or other climate indicators. This suggests that further warming of the planet will cause more frequent, stronger, longer and/or larger droughts and floods.

NASA researchers also prepared updated statistics at the request of the Oxford-based research organization Global Water Intelligence, whose head, Christopher Gasson, said that water supply companies are on the firing line of climate change. They faced too much water or too little water - or both. At the same time, most water supply companies are absolutely not ready to cope with the changes that are taking place.

This is extremely scary. The industry needs to attract investment on a huge scale

This is a stark reminder that a hotter planet means stronger floods and droughts. This has long been predicted, but now it is visible in reality, - says Professor Richard Betts, Head of Climate Change Impact at the Meteorological Bureau and the University of Exeter.

Addition

The latest report from the World Meteorological Organization estimates an 80% chance that at least one of the next five years will surpass 2024 as the warmest year on record.

It says the following:

The global temperature will continue to rise over the next five years, increasing climate risks and impacts on society, the economy and sustainable development.

This can have widespread consequences for entire economies.

Recall

Climatologists and oceanographers have found evidence that the anomalously rapid sea level rise in some regions of the northwestern Atlantic is associated with rising temperatures in deep waters flowing into the Atlantic from the Antarctic coast.

2024 - global warming reached a level of 1.5°C above the pre-industrial period (1850-1900), surpassing the record of 2023, when the temperature was 0.60°C higher than the average for 1991-2020.