Events of Extreme Weather

• 21 Jul 2021

Why in News

People around the world have been doubly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and extreme weather events which experts say have been fuelled by climate change.

Key Points

• Recent Extreme Weather Events:
  
  • The unprecedented heat wave that drove temperatures across Canada and parts of the United States to a record high, causing hundreds of deaths between June 25 to 30.
  • The recent floods in Germany that killed over 180 people in the country.
    
    • Floods have also been reported across several Asian countries, in China, India and Indonesia.
  • Cyclones Tauktae and Yaas that hit India’s west and east coasts respectively.
• Some Causes of Extreme Weather Events:
  
  • Extreme Temperature:
    
    • The temperature of the Earth is rising every year and increasing temperature and extreme sunshine on top of it creates a low-pressure system.
    • Due to which the hurricanes and other tropical storms get their way to start.
  • High Atmospheric Winds:
    
    • The jet stream is found where the cold air from Earth’s poles meets with warm tropical air.
    • These winds help to continue and control the weather system from west to east in the northern hemisphere and from east to west in the southern hemisphere.
    • Sometimes these winds bring unpleasant weather with them which may lead to the formation of a tornado.
  • When Pressure Systems Meet:
    
    • When too cold high-pressure systems meet with too warm low-pressure systems, the chances of extremely high waves on sea surface increases.
    • The too cold high-pressure systems originate from sub-polar land whereas too warm low-pressure systems originate from temperate seas.
  • Improper Weather Systems:
    
    • The weather systems (such as air masses, fronts, etc.) keep on moving in a proper way which helps to maintain the weather conditions in a smoother way.
    • When the weather conditions come across any disturbance in between, it creates disasters.
  • Climate Change:
    
    • The world temperature has increased quite high from the past few decades and even keeps on changing year after year.
    • One of the big reasons for the increase in Earth’s temperature is the level of CO₂.
    • As the CO₂ is increasing in the atmosphere, the temperature of the earth is also increasing simultaneously.
  • Global Warming:
    
    • As the world temperature is increasing due to global warming simultaneously the effects of it are also increasing.
    • Global warming is contributing to intensifying heatwaves.
    • Global warming also boosts the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere which may lead to causes of severe weather like heavy rainfall, heavy snowstorm, etc.
• Concerns:
  
  • The rise in average global temperature is linked with widespread changes in weather patterns.
    
    • The rising average global temperature is making heavy rainfall more likely.
    • Warmer air carries more moisture, meaning that more water will be released eventually.
  • Extreme weather events like heat waves and extreme rainfall are likely to become more frequent or more intense with rising anthropogenic climate change.
    
    • The Theory of Anthropogenic Climate Change is that humans are causing most of the current changes to climate by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
  • Temperatures at the Earth’s poles are rising at two to three times the temperature at the equator.
    
    • This weakens the jet stream of the mid-latitudes, situated over Europe.
    • During summer and autumn, the weakening of the jet stream has a causal effect resulting in slower-moving storms.
    • This can result in more severe and longer-lasting storms with increased intensity.
  • Also, according to a study, human-induced global warming has contributed to the increased frequency and intensity of cyclonic storms over the Arabian Sea.
• Related Initiatives:
  
  • National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)
  • India’s Intended Nationally Determined Commitments (INDC) under Paris Climate Deal.

Source: IE