10 years of rapidly disentangling drivers of extreme weather disasters
Latest analyses.
Can we come up with a meaningful number?
Today, three years after his death, and before the 10-year anniversary of World Weather Attribution, the last paper Geert Jan and I worked on together is published. The paper presents a quantitative statistical synthesis method we have developed over the last eight years of conducting rapid probabilistic event attribution study. It is a statistics focused … Continue reading “Can we come up with a meaningful number?”
Extreme rainfall
Conflict, poverty and water management issues exposing vulnerable communities in africa to extreme floods that are now common events because of climate change.
The rainy season from July to September 2024 was marked by extremely heavy and sometimes unprecedented rainfall in large parts of the Sahel region, leading to catastrophic flooding in Sudan in August and in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon in September. In total more than 2000 people lost their lives and millions were displaced.
Rapid urbanisation and climate change key drivers of dramatic flood impacts in Nepal
From 26-28 September 2024, extremely heavy rainfall hit Nepal, especially the capital Kathmandu and nearby regions, causing devastating flash floods, landslides and riverine flooding from the Bagmati, Sapakoshi, Narayani, Sardu, Rew, and Nakkhu rivers and their tributaries. In total, 244 people were killed.
World Weather Attribution
World Weather Attribution uses weather observations and climate models to understand how climate change influences the intensity and likelihood of extreme weather events. The studies also assess the role of human vulnerability and exposure in the impacts to highlight the actions needed to prepare for changing weather extremes.
Most studies are performed rapidly, in the aftermath of extreme weather events – or even while they’re still happening – to answer the increasingly common question: ‘what was the role of climate change in this event?’
Formed in 2014, WWA has performed more than 80 attribution studies on heatwaves, extreme rainfall, drought, floods, wildfires and cold spells around the world.
To contact World Weather Attribution, email [email protected]
Cold spells
Unusual cold spells can occur even in a warming world, and cause disruption to transport, energy & food supplies.
Drought affects people in many ways, from reduced water & food supplies to increasing the risk of wildfires.
Rainfall events from a major storm or hurricane, or intense localised downpours can lead to flooding in any type of location.
Heatwaves can be particularly dangerous to humans, and occur all over the world with increasing intensity.
Storms usually include heavy rain, snow or hail, strong winds and thunder & lightning.
Warmer temperatures are increasing the likelihood of wildfires both starting and spreading in many regions of the world.
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COMMENTS
As Earth’s climate changes, it is impacting extreme weather across the planet. Record-breaking heat waves on land and in the ocean, drenching rains, severe floods, years-long droughts, extreme wildfires, and widespread flooding during …
10 years of rapidly disentangling drivers of extreme weather disasters. In the summer of 2003, a devastating heatwave killed more than 70,000 people across Europe. For …
Deadliest weather made worse by climate change - scientists. Human-caused climate change made the ten deadliest extreme weather events of the last 20 years more …
One set of these issues concerns how to establish the relationship between changes in the climate and a particular local extreme event, and how to quantify the resulting …
This systematic review evaluates the health impacts of climate-induced extreme weather events and the effectiveness of various adaptation strategies. Seventeen studies …
This chapter assesses changes in weather and climate extremes on regional and global scales, including observed changes and their attribution, as well as projected changes.
Placing recent extreme events in the context of past and future climate variability and change would enhance the ability of societies to manage weather and climate-related risks.
Scientists assess whether individual extreme weather events can be attributed to climate change by considering both natural and human causes.
It shows how and why climate has changed to date, and the improved understanding of human influence on a wider range of climate characteristics, including …