Biodiversity & Environment
Events of Extreme Weather
- 21 Jul 2021
- 5 min read
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.
- Extreme Temperature:
- 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.
- The rise in average global temperature is linked with widespread changes in weather patterns.
- Related Initiatives:
- National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)
- India’s Intended Nationally Determined Commitments (INDC) under Paris Climate Deal.