Nature Studies: The Cumbrian floods were unprecedented, but not unpredictable
9 years, 3 months ago

Nature Studies: The Cumbrian floods were unprecedented, but not unpredictable

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Two patterns concerning the likelihood of extreme rainfall and flooding in Britain as a result of climate change should by now have penetrated the minds of the public, though they have not yet done so: a pattern of predictions, and a pattern of events. Since 1999, scientific opinion has focused on heavier rain as our principal global warming impact, and a number of more detailed reports have fleshed this out and warned of the dangers, with two in particular very noteworthy: the Government Foresight report on Future Flooding of 2004, and the Climate Change Risk Assessment of 2012. For most of the second half of the 20th century there was little serious flooding in Britain, but beginning with the floods in the Midlands of Easter 1998, affecting towns from Northampton to Leamington Spa, which took everyone by surprise and in which five people died, there has been a staggering increase in unusually severe floods caused by extreme rainfall.

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History of this topic

Revealed: The 10 DEADLIEST extreme weather events over the past 20 years - and scientists say climate change made them ALL worse
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Revealed: The 10 DEADLIEST extreme weather events over the past 20 years - and scientists say climate change made them ALL worse

Daily Mail  

From droughts, floods and heatwaves, it seems no corner of the globe has been spared by fatal climate events in the past two decades. All 10 events – three tropical cyclones, four heatwaves, a drought and two floods – were made worse by human-caused climate change, say scientists at World Weather Attribution. The Somalian drought back in 2011 caused a …

Unusually Intense Flooding in Spain: Two Climate Change Theories Loom
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Unusually Intense Flooding in Spain: Two Climate Change Theories Loom

Associated Press  

Spain is experiencing another devastating flood due to a combination of climate change and the unusual weather patterns affecting the region. At least 95 people have been killed in the flooding, with an ocean-based flood causing a flash drought in the United States. Scientists are exploring the potential connections between climate change and the recent floods, with some suggesting that …

How Hurricane Milton rapidly turned into a monster as climate change supercharges storms
5 months, 2 weeks ago

How Hurricane Milton rapidly turned into a monster as climate change supercharges storms

ABC  

John Morales's voice cracks as he explains to his audience how tropical storm Milton had turned into a category five monster within hours. "Nowadays it's quite a bit warmer than it used to be, and as a result, that tends to fuel the storm more," Dr Trenberth says. "The exact numbers may change, but the fundamental conclusion that climate change …

Hey, presidential candidates, climate change would like a word
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Hey, presidential candidates, climate change would like a word

LA Times  

It is Wednesday, Oct. 2. The Cedar fire killed 15 people and destroyed more than 2,500 structures in San Diego’s inland suburbs and rural communities; at the time, it was the largest California wildfire in 75 years. A fire season surpassing 1 million scorched acres of land that doesn’t feel like a big deal — that’s climate change. A hurricane …

Floods and droughts will be predicted earlier with extreme weather technology
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Floods and droughts will be predicted earlier with extreme weather technology

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. There is no time to waste in backing our researchers …

Flash floods have deluged the Northeast. Climate change will only make them worse
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Flash floods have deluged the Northeast. Climate change will only make them worse

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed an emergency declaration on Monday afternoon following deadly flash floods …

Weather Update: Harsh Weather Triggers Floods and Landslides in Dual Natural Disasters | ABP News
8 months, 1 week ago

Weather Update: Harsh Weather Triggers Floods and Landslides in Dual Natural Disasters | ABP News

ABP News  

Recent severe weather conditions have unleashed a wave of devastation across diverse landscapes, with contrasting yet equally destructive outcomes. The resulting floods have submerged roads, disrupted essential services, and prompted large-scale relief efforts to assist affected communities in their recovery. Conversely, in mountainous areas and hilly terrains, the relentless downpour has triggered landslides, unleashing torrents of mud and debris that …

Met Office warns rain will lash UK with more than 140 flood alerts issued
1 year ago

Met Office warns rain will lash UK with more than 140 flood alerts issued

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery England’s Environment Agency has issued scores of flood warnings and …

It's time for Northeast to prep for floods like those that hit this winter. Climate change is why
1 year, 1 month ago

It's time for Northeast to prep for floods like those that hit this winter. Climate change is why

Hindustan Times  

PORTLAND, Maine — After back-to-back storms lashed the Northeast in January, rental properties Haim Levy owns in coastal Hampton, New Hampshire, were hammered by nearly two feet of water, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and causing him to evacuate tenants to safer ground. Not fun.” Many scientists who study the intersection of climate change, flooding, winter …

It's time for Northeast to prep for floods like those that hit this winter. Climate change is why
1 year, 1 month ago

It's time for Northeast to prep for floods like those that hit this winter. Climate change is why

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Maine — After back-to-back storms lashed the Northeast in January, rental properties Haim Levy owns in coastal Hampton, New Hampshire, were hammered by nearly two feet of water, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and causing him to evacuate tenants to safer ground. In the Northeast, the problem of climate change is especially acute because of …

Expect more intense rainfall events as the world warms, scientists say
1 year, 3 months ago

Expect more intense rainfall events as the world warms, scientists say

NPR  

Expect more intense rainfall events as the world warms, scientists say Intense rain has caused flooding in the northeast this week. FADEL: For more on what coming storms could look like, Lauren Sommer is here from NPR's climate desk. She says, if we stay on the current path of climate change, rainfall gets even more extreme in many parts of …

Scientists say storms like Ciarán are becoming ‘more damaging’
1 year, 4 months ago

Scientists say storms like Ciarán are becoming ‘more damaging’

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “It looks like a once-in-every-few-years storm for the UK and France,” said Bob Henson, a meteorologist and science writer …

How Global Warming Makes Hurricanes, Floods and Droughts Worse
1 year, 7 months ago

How Global Warming Makes Hurricanes, Floods and Droughts Worse

Bloomberg  

Scientists have predicted for decades that the burning of fossil fuels would push average temperatures ever higher and conjure dangerous extremes. Many heat waves, cyclones, floods, droughts and wildfires — including ones making headlines in 2023 — are now routinely tied to climate change. And heat, along with dryness and wind, fuels forest fires, which is why scientists have become …

Floods, fires and deadly heat are the alarm bells of a planet on the brink
1 year, 8 months ago

Floods, fires and deadly heat are the alarm bells of a planet on the brink

The Independent  

The world is hotter than it’s been in thousands of years, and it’s as if every alarm bell on Earth were ringing. Unless humanity radically transforms the way people travel, generate energy and produce food, the global average temperature is on track to increase by more than 3 degrees celsius, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – unleashing …

How to predict record-shattering weather events
1 year, 9 months ago

How to predict record-shattering weather events

Hindustan Times  

The heatwave that struck parts of North America’s Pacific coast in 2021 propelled temperatures in Lytton, a village in British Columbia, to 49.6°C—4.6° higher than the previous record. That makes it much more complex.” To try to understand what had happened, Dr Thompson’s team simulated British winters between 1981 and 2015 many thousands of times, and looked at the spread …

Extreme weather events are becoming more severe, not less
55 years, 2 months ago

Extreme weather events are becoming more severe, not less

Associated Press  

CLAIM: Climate, weather or meteorological events that we would classify as “extreme” have declined in severity over the last 20 or 30 years. Scientific research has documented how events including extreme precipitation, droughts and forest fires have become more frequent and severe as a result of climate change. THE FACTS: A podcast clip shared on Instagram this week falsely claims …

Scientists say climate change goosed New Zealand storm fury
2 years ago

Scientists say climate change goosed New Zealand storm fury

The Hindu  

Climate change worsened flooding from a tropical cyclone that shut down much of New Zealand last month in one of the country's costliest disasters, scientists said, but they couldn't quite calculate how much it magnified the catastrophe. “Climate change is a serious concern for flooding in New Zealand and you've got to understand these are gigantic amounts of rainfall,” said …

Climate change made New Zealand’s Cyclone Gabrielle flooding ‘four times more common’
2 years ago

Climate change made New Zealand’s Cyclone Gabrielle flooding ‘four times more common’

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Climate crisis “likely” played a role in exacerbating the heavy rainfall events that flooded northeast …

Scientists say climate change goosed New Zealand storm fury
2 years ago

Scientists say climate change goosed New Zealand storm fury

Associated Press  

Climate change worsened flooding from a tropical cyclone that shut down much of New Zealand last month in one of the country’s costliest disasters, scientists said, but they couldn’t quite calculate how much it magnified the catastrophe. “Climate change is a serious concern for flooding in New Zealand and you’ve got to understand these are gigantic amounts of rainfall,” said …

Climate change makes heat waves, storms and droughts worse, climate report confirms
2 years, 2 months ago

Climate change makes heat waves, storms and droughts worse, climate report confirms

NPR  

Climate change makes heat waves, storms and droughts worse, climate report confirms Enlarge this image toggle caption -/AFP via Getty Images -/AFP via Getty Images Climate change is causing the weather around the world to get more extreme, and scientists are increasingly able to pinpoint exactly how the weather is changing as the Earth heats up. A sweeping new report …

Extreme heat, flooding and wildfires: How climate change supercharged the weather
2 years, 6 months ago

Extreme heat, flooding and wildfires: How climate change supercharged the weather

NPR  

Extreme heat, flooding and wildfires: How climate change supercharged the weather TERRY GROSS, HOST: This is FRESH AIR. And I think it's an explicit acknowledgment both of the age of our infrastructure, but also the fact that climate change really is not some distant worry but something that we're already dealing with now. Let's get back to my interview with …

‘Clairvoyant’ 2012 climate report warned of extreme weather
2 years, 6 months ago

‘Clairvoyant’ 2012 climate report warned of extreme weather

Associated Press  

Record high temperatures in urban Europe as heat waves bake the planet more often. In a report that changed the way the world thinks about the harms of global warming, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s special report on extreme events, disasters and climate change warned in 2012: “A changing climate leads to changes in the frequency, intensity, spatial extent, …

'Clairvoyant' 2012 climate report warned of extreme weather
2 years, 6 months ago

'Clairvoyant' 2012 climate report warned of extreme weather

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In a report that changed the way the world …

Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand’s flood-prone areas not ready to cope with climate crisis
2 years, 7 months ago

Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand’s flood-prone areas not ready to cope with climate crisis

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Severe flooding which hit New Zealand last week shows that the country is currently unable …

Climate change is driving 2022 extreme heat and flooding
2 years, 8 months ago

Climate change is driving 2022 extreme heat and flooding

India Today  

Extreme weather events from scorching heatwaves to unusually heavy downpours have caused widespread upheaval across the globe this year, with thousands of people killed and millions more displaced. For heatwaves and extreme rainfall, "we find we have a much better understanding of how the intensity of these events is changing due to climate change," said study co-author Luke Harrington, a …

Climate change is driving 2022 extreme heat and flooding
2 years, 8 months ago

Climate change is driving 2022 extreme heat and flooding

The Hindu  

Extreme weather events — from scorching heatwaves to unusually heavy downpours — have caused widespread upheaval across the globe this year, with thousands of people killed and millions more displaced. For heatwaves and extreme rainfall, "we find we have a much better understanding of how the intensity of these events is changing due to climate change," said study co-author Luke …

Every heatwave ‘more intense and more likely’ because of climate change
2 years, 8 months ago

Every heatwave ‘more intense and more likely’ because of climate change

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But severe droughts in many parts of the world are not due to climate change, the review by scientists …

How a natural disaster that happened 90 years ago prophesied our climate-ravaged future
2 years, 9 months ago

How a natural disaster that happened 90 years ago prophesied our climate-ravaged future

Salon  

Imagine that you're a farmer during the Great Depression. "There are two major points to consider when thinking about changes in the agricultural economy," explained Dr. Douglas Sheflin from Colorado State University, who has studied Colorado during the dust bowl and wrote a book called "Legacies of Dust: Land Use and Labor on the Colorado Plains." "We are seeing far …

Global warming may have worsened series of flood disasters, says Bureau of Meteorology
2 years, 10 months ago

Global warming may have worsened series of flood disasters, says Bureau of Meteorology

ABC  

A perfect storm of factors created conditions for devastating flooding across Queensland and NSW this year and global warming may have made them worse, says the Bureau of Meteorology. Key points: The BOM links floods to a trend of high-intensity rainfall events due to climate change It says more than 50 sites in Queensland and NSW recorded more than a …

NSW, Queensland floods on track to be among country's worst-ever natural disasters, Climate Council says
3 years ago

NSW, Queensland floods on track to be among country's worst-ever natural disasters, Climate Council says

ABC  

The ongoing floods in Queensland and New South Wales are on track to be one of Australia's worst-ever natural disasters. The Brisbane "rain bomb", for instance, dropped more water on the city than typically falls in London over an entire year, and the volume flowing through the Brisbane River far exceeded the 2010-11 floods. The total value of the insurance …

Extreme weather may become feature of UK’s climate, minister says
3 years, 1 month ago

Extreme weather may become feature of UK’s climate, minister says

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Extreme weather, like the storms that have lashed the UK, …

Weather Disasters Have Become 5 Times As Common, Thanks In Part To Climate Change
3 years, 6 months ago

Weather Disasters Have Become 5 Times As Common, Thanks In Part To Climate Change

NPR  

Weather Disasters Have Become 5 Times As Common, Thanks In Part To Climate Change Enlarge this image toggle caption Karl Mondon/Digital First Media/The Mercury News via Getty Images Karl Mondon/Digital First Media/The Mercury News via Getty Images Climate change has helped drive a fivefold increase in the number of weather-related disasters in the last 50 years, according to a new …

Watch The Independent’s free virtual event on extreme weather and the climate crisis
3 years, 6 months ago

Watch The Independent’s free virtual event on extreme weather and the climate crisis

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy “Virtually impossible without it.” That was how Dr Friederike Otto, associate director of the Environmental …

Western Europe Can Expect More Heavy Rainfall And Fatal Floods As The Climate Warms
3 years, 7 months ago

Western Europe Can Expect More Heavy Rainfall And Fatal Floods As The Climate Warms

NPR  

Western Europe Can Expect More Heavy Rainfall And Fatal Floods As The Climate Warms Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Probst/AP Michael Probst/AP Heavy rainfall and catastrophic flooding events like those that hit Western Europe last month will be more frequent and intense due to climate change, a new scientific study says. The World Weather Attribution initiative, an international group …

The Climate Crisis Brought Us Megadroughts, But Also Megafloods
3 years, 7 months ago

The Climate Crisis Brought Us Megadroughts, But Also Megafloods

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Americans have been reading all summer about the megadrought gripping the Western United States — a devastating event that has required water cuts along the Colorado River and which climate change has undoubtedly made worse. “There’s increasing evidence for an overintensification of the water cycle,” said Alex Ruane, a NASA scientist and a lead author of the …

Climate crisis made severe rains behind Europe’s 2021 floods ‘up to nine times’ more likely
3 years, 7 months ago

Climate crisis made severe rains behind Europe’s 2021 floods ‘up to nine times’ more likely

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The extreme rainfall that triggered devastating and deadly flooding across western Europe last month was …

Climate change made deadly European floods more likely: Study
3 years, 7 months ago

Climate change made deadly European floods more likely: Study

India Today  

Scientists say that global warming makes the kind of extreme rainfall that caused deadly flash flooding in western Europe last month more likely, though it remains unclear exactly how much. A study released Tuesday by the World Weather Attribution group used historical records and computer simulations to examine how temperatures affected rainfall from the late 19th century to the present. …

Editorial: Climate change is driving extreme floods, wildfires and heat. Will the world meet the moment?
3 years, 8 months ago

Editorial: Climate change is driving extreme floods, wildfires and heat. Will the world meet the moment?

LA Times  

The summer isn’t even halfway through and it’s already proved to be a season of deadly extremes. Climate change is making normal weather events — heat waves, droughts, rainstorms and hurricanes — more extreme and more devastating to communities unprepared for the onslaught. So why are the world’s developed countries still slow-walking efforts to wean their economies off fossil fuels …

Experts: Europe floods show need to curb emissions, adapt
3 years, 8 months ago

Experts: Europe floods show need to curb emissions, adapt

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — Just as the European Union was announcing plans to spend billions of euros to contain climate change, massive clouds gathered over Germany and nearby nations to unleash an unprecedented storm that left death and destruction in its wake. Scientists can’t yet say for sure whether climate change caused the flooding, but they insist that it certainly exacerbates the …

Germany floods ‘clear indication’ of climate change, Ursula von der Leyen warns
3 years, 8 months ago

Germany floods ‘clear indication’ of climate change, Ursula von der Leyen warns

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The severity of flooding across western Europe in recent days is a clear indication that …

Are London floods linked to the climate crisis?
3 years, 8 months ago

Are London floods linked to the climate crisis?

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But there is an expectation that these sorts of storms, when they occur, will be much heavier.” Speaking about …

Global warming is increasing extreme rainfall around the world
3 years, 8 months ago

Global warming is increasing extreme rainfall around the world

Live Mint  

The fact that anthropogenic climate change is the main driver behind the rise of extreme weather events around the world is now a well established fact. Finally, the monsoon continues to be erratic with each year, including this one, seeing instances of extreme rainfall events, like in Bihar and Uttarakhand, as well as deficient rainfall as in northwest India. Apart …

Climate change increases extreme rainfall, chance of floods: Experts
3 years, 9 months ago

Climate change increases extreme rainfall, chance of floods: Experts

India TV News  

Climate experts at the Newcastle University warn that, without urgent action, climate change will continue to cause an increase in the intensity of extreme rainfall that can lead to severe flooding. They found that in small and in urban catchments in many parts of the world extreme rainfall has increased the chance of floods occurring and their magnitude, severely impacting …

Uttarakhand Disaster May be Due to Water Pocket Burst, a Climate Change Event, Say Scientists
4 years, 1 month ago

Uttarakhand Disaster May be Due to Water Pocket Burst, a Climate Change Event, Say Scientists

News 18  

A massive flood in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath area on Sunday is a rare incident of a glacial burst, and may be “a climate change event”, say leading climate scientists. Another scientist, Anjal Prakash, who is the Research Director and Adjunct Associate Professor at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, said prima facie this looks very much like a climate change …

Storm Christoph flooding a harbinger of worsening ‘climate shocks’, warns Environment Agency
4 years, 1 month ago

Storm Christoph flooding a harbinger of worsening ‘climate shocks’, warns Environment Agency

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The flooding caused by Storm Christoph is a harbinger of worsening “climate shocks” in the …

UK’s worsening floods will hit the most disadvantaged communities the hardest
4 years, 3 months ago

UK’s worsening floods will hit the most disadvantaged communities the hardest

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “This shows we’re not doing a good enough job of making sure those people who can’t bounce back after …

Climate crisis: Is it making weather forecasting harder?
4 years, 3 months ago

Climate crisis: Is it making weather forecasting harder?

Al Jazeera  

On Tuesday, December 1 at 19:30 GMT: How important is the way in which you tell someone the weather? As the climate crisis escalates, it’s common to see the media reporting on extreme weather events causing widespread destruction. Fully adopting that method, the report says, would leave communities better prepared for extreme weather events. It also proposed the implementation of …

After Cyclone Idai, climate chief warns of more extreme weather
5 years, 11 months ago

After Cyclone Idai, climate chief warns of more extreme weather

CNN  

Story highlights "No country or community is immune to climate change," UN Secretary General warns World Meteorological Organization says climate change is increasing likelihood of extreme weather Natural disasters triggered by extreme weather impacted 62 million people in 2018 CNN — Extreme weather events, such as Cyclone Idai, are becoming more frequent due to climate change and will intensify if …

Extreme weather and global warming: Here’s what the UK can expect if emissions keep increasing
6 years ago

Extreme weather and global warming: Here’s what the UK can expect if emissions keep increasing

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, …

Climate change crisis closer than we think
6 years ago

Climate change crisis closer than we think

Live Mint  

It is almost hard to believe just how much has happened and how quickly. Five hundred years ago, there were no English settlements across the Atlantic, so we are talking about a storm that should hit just once as Europeans arrived and established colonies, as colonists fought a revolution and Americans a civil war and two world wars, as their …

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