Page 8 - Heatwaves

Natural disasters cause $65bn loss in APAC in 2023; 91% loss uninsured: Aon

As per the report, 398 natural disaster events occurred globally in 2023, resulting in an economic loss of $380 billion in the year.

Above-normal maximum temperatures likely during April-June, says IMD

India is set to experience extreme heat during the April to June period, with the central and western peninsular parts expected to face the worst impact, the IMD said on Monday as the country prepares for seven-phase general elections from April 19. India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said above-normal maximum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country during the April-June period, with a high probability over central and western peninsular India. Normal to below-normal maximum temperatures are likely over some parts of the western Himalayan region, northeastern states and north Odisha, he said. Above-normal heatwave days are likely over most parts in the plains during this period. Ten to 20 days of heat wave are expected in different parts of the country against a normal of four to eight days, he said. Gujarat, central Maharashtra, north Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, north Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh are likel

Temperatures cross 40-degree mark in parts of Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan

Temperatures crossed the 40-degree-Celcius mark in parts of Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan on Wednesday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning of heatwave conditions over these places for the next two days. The mercury touched 41.6 degrees Celsius in Bhuj, 41.1 degrees Celsius in Rajkot, 41.5 degrees Celsius in Akola and 41.4 degrees Celsius in Washim. An IMD official said the maximum temperatures were two to three notches above normal over these regions on Wednesday but did not meet the criteria for heatwave conditions. The threshold for a heatwave is met when the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, 37 degrees Celsius in coastal areas and 30 degrees Celsius in hilly regions, with a departure of at least four-and-a-half notches from normal. In a statement, the IMD said heatwave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets over North Interior Karnataka during March 27-29, Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat on March ..

'We aim to leverage tech to detect all small-scale severe weather events'

India aims to detect and predict all small-scale severe weather events through the augmentation of its weather observation network and the procurement of more powerful computing systems, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Monday. While launching the yearlong 150th-anniversary celebrations of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Rijiju emphasised that weather and climate impacts are more pronounced than ever, and India strives to become a more climate-resilient country. He said that although the IMD's forecast accuracy has improved by 40 per cent in the last five years compared to the preceding five years, challenges persist in predicting small-scale severe weather events such as cloudbursts. To address this challenge, Rijiju highlighted the importance of augmenting the network of doppler radars and automatic weather stations. The procurement of high-power computing systems will enable the IMD to run higher-resolution models, enhancing the ability to detect and predict all ..

India saw extreme weather events almost every day in 1st 9 months in 2023

India experienced extreme weather events almost every day in the first nine months of this year which led to nearly 3,000 deaths, according to a report released on Wednesday. Published by independent think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the report said the climate-vulnerable country had extreme weather on 86 per cent of days from January to September. The CSE said 2,923 people died, almost two million hectares of crops were ruined, 80,000 homes were destroyed and more than 92,000 animals were killed. But these numbers might be even higher because not all the data is collected, it said. "'India 2023: An assessment of extreme weather events' attempts to build an evidence base on the frequency and expanding geography of extreme weather events in the country. As this assessment clearly shows, what the country has witnessed so far in 2023 is the new 'abnormal' in a warming world," said the CSE director general Sunita Narain. Research indicates that extreme weather events

Yearly heat-related deaths to see fivefold rise by mid-century: Lancet

The yearly heat-related deaths are likely to increase nearly fivefold the current numbers by mid-century if current temperature trends continue and there is no substantial progress on adaptation, according to a report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. Against this backdrop of climate inaction, the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change in its eighth annual global report projects heat-related labour loss might increase by 50 per cent. Heatwaves alone could lead to 524.9 million additional people experiencing moderate-to-severe food insecurity by 2041-60, aggravating the global risk of malnutrition, it said. The report further projects an increased spread of life-threatening infectious diseases by mid-century, with the length of coastline suitable for Vibrio pathogens expanding by 17-25 per cent, and the transmission potential for dengue increasing by 36-37 per cent. Vibrio pathogens are responsible for food-borne diseases such as cholera. The Lancet Count

Heat-related deaths likely to increase fivefold by mid-century: Lancet

In 2022, individuals were, on average, exposed to 86 days of health-threatening high temperatures, of which 60 per cent were at least twice as likely to occur because of human-caused climate change.

Climate change may make India, Indus Valley too hot for up to 2.2 bn: Study

Climate change could expose up to 2.2 billion people in India's Indus Valley and Pakistan to many hours of heat that surpass human tolerance by the end of the century, according to new study. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), found that if global temperatures increase by 1 degree Celsius (C) or more than current levels, each year billions of people will be exposed to heat and humidity so extreme they will be unable to naturally cool themselves. Researchers from the Penn State College of Health and Human Development, Purdue University College of Sciences and Purdue Institute for a Sustainable Future in the US found that warming of the planet beyond 1.5 C above preindustrial levels will be increasingly devastating for human health across the planet. Humans can only withstand certain combinations of heat and humidity before their bodies begin to experience heat-related health problems, such as heat stroke or heart attack. As ...

Earth's warmest Aug saw 65 countries set record high temperatures: Report

Thirteen per cent of the Earth's surface, spanning 65 countries, experienced record high temperatures in August, while the rest of the world braved significantly higher temperatures compared to the 1951-1980 average, according to a new analysis conducted by an independent US-based non-profit organisation. Berkeley Earth, which focuses on environmental data science and analysis, said last month was the warmest August since records began to be kept in 1850, with "particularly warm conditions" prevailing in parts of India, Japan, North Atlantic, Eastern Equatorial Pacific, Northern South America, Central America, parts of Africa and the Middle East. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a US government agency, said on Thursday that 2023 witnessed Earth's hottest August in its 174-year climate record. The sizzling month also marked the northern hemisphere's warmest meteorological summer and the southern hemisphere's warmest meteorological winter on record, the NOAA

Extreme weather turns up the heat on long-term investment in agriculture

Rising global temperatures threaten to damage crops that rely on predictable weather, which will likely lead to higher food prices

Intense, frequent heatwaves measurably worsening air quality: WMO

Increasingly intense and frequent heatwaves, compounded by wildfires and desert dust, is measurably worsening air quality, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Putting heatwaves in the spotlight, the report showed that heatwaves in the US and Europe, triggering wildfires and accompanied by desert dust intrusions, respectively, both led to dangerous air quality in 2022, affecting human health and environment. It is not just high temperatures which are a hazard, but the impacts of resulting pollution, often overlooked, are just as pernicious, the 2023 WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin, the third in an annual series, said. Air quality and climate are interconnected because the chemical agents affecting both are linked. This is because the substances contributing to climate change and degrading air quality are often emitted by the same sources. For example, fossil fuel combustion emitting carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NO) can lead to t

Intensity of heatwaves worsen air quality due to climate change: WMO

The 2023 WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin, the third in an annual series, puts the spotlight on heatwaves to draw attention to the fact that it is not just high temperatures that are a hazard

India braces for driest August since 1901 amid intensifying El Nino

India is poised to experience the driest August since 1901 which, senior meteorologists say, is a clear result of intensifying El Nino conditions. Also, the monsoon this year may end up being the driest since 2015, which recorded a rainfall deficit of 13 per cent, they said. With a 32 per cent precipitation deficit in August so far and the prediction of only subdued rainfall activity over a large part of the country in the next three days, India is on track to record the driest August since 1901, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said, requesting anonymity. August receives 254.9 mm of rainfall, accounting for around 30 per cent of the precipitation during the monsoon season. India recorded a rainfall deficit of 25 per cent in August 2005, 24.6 per cent in 1965; 24.4 per cent in 1920; 24.1 per cent in 2009 and 24 per cent deficit in 1913, according to the IMD data. IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the primary reason for below-normal rainfall in August was El Nino

Heatwaves getting more deadly, frequent; old, ill, poor more vulnerable

Previous projections of heat-related mortality were mostly based on calculations that used one climate model over a specific period of time

Heatwaves endanger workers, reduce productivity: ILO's senior economist

Data from the UN's World Meteorological Organization reveals this July is set to be the hottest month ever recorded

Parts of national capital likely to receive moderate rainfall, says IMD

Delhi on Friday recorded a minimum temperature of 26.6 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal, and parts of the city are likely to receive moderate rainfall during the day, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The relative humidity was 85 per cent around 8:30 am. The national capital is likely to witness generally cloudy skies during the day and moderate rain is likely in parts of the city. The maximum temperature in the national capital is expected to settle at 35 degrees Celsius, the IMD said. Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 71, in the 'satisfactory' category, around 8:40 am, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) data showed. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

Global warming: An overheating planet requires extreme solutions

Rising causes of death would include not just heat itself but exposure to ground-level ozone, malaria, dengue, and West Nile virus

Nearly 200 mn under heat, flood advisories as US braces for severe storms

Nearly 200 million people in the United States, or 60% of the U.S. population, are under a heat advisory or flood warning or watch as high temperatures spread and new areas are told to expect severe storms. The National Weather Service said a dangerous heat wave began to scorch the Northeast and mid-Atlantic on Thursday and will continue into the weekend. Severe thunderstorms and flash floods are possible for parts of the Northeast and South, New England and South Florida. Meanwhile, the string of record-breaking temperatures will persist for the Southwest and Midwest. It's (hitting) all the big cities, said Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. That's why the population (affected) is so high. Scientists have long warned that climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, will lead to more and prolonged bouts of extreme weather. The prediction for continued excessive heat comes a day after the World Meteorological ...

Even moderate temperature rise may cause increased hospital visits: Study

Even moderate temperature increases, for example night-time temperatures starting at 18.4 degrees Celsius, can lead to increased hospital visits and death in older adults and those with cardiorespiratory conditions, according to a study conducted in Canada. Researchers from the University of Waterloo and Toronto Metropolitan University in Canada have refined and expanded a method of data collection to assess the health impacts of heat waves and poor air quality. The new method, described in the journal Environmental Research, will help municipalities make a strong case for choosing which mitigation and adaptation measures to pursue to effectively respond to climate changes. The options could include planting more trees for shade, investing in emergency warning programmes, or planning to have more staff available to run ambulances, support hospitals and long-term care homes. "Much of the financial burden to mitigate the impacts of hot temperatures is left to municipalities, but the

Extreme temperature pushes airlines to shed fuel, limit passengers

High temperatures make air less dense, reducing engine performance and the amount of lift produced at a given speed