Year of extreme weather brings challenges to billions of people

Climate change has brought record heat this year and brought extreme weather from hurricanes to month-long droughts.

This year is expected to be the hottest on record, with new research showing that people around the world have experienced another 41 days of dangerously high temperatures due to climate change.

Researchers from Imperial College London and Climate Central's World Weather Attribution (WWA) group said the study showed “we are living in a dangerous new era”.

From Brazil to Indonesia, we look back at the climate events that will impact the lives of billions of people in 2024.

It's been a hot year – temperature records on land and sea have been broken multiple times.

In April, dozens of countries from Lebanon in the west to Cambodia in the east suffered prolonged heat waves, bringing with them the risk of dehydration and heatstroke.

But Julie Arrighi, program director at the Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Center, said the impacts are not being felt equally.

“Young people and people over 65, especially those with pre-existing health conditions (are at risk) – they are less able physiologically to cope with extreme heat,” she said.

She said people in conflict zones also suffered disproportionately due to their housing conditions, including living in makeshift shelters, which amplified heat, or had water systems damaged.

Research shows People can adapt to warmer temperatures over time, but even taking that into account, scientists at WWA and Climate Central estimate that by 2024, the world's population will experience an additional 41 days of colder temperatures than in a world without climate change. Dangerously high temperatures.

Dr Friederike Otto, director of WWA and senior lecturer in climate science at Imperial College London, said: “The impacts of fossil fuel warming have never been more pronounced or more damaging than in 2024.

“We live in a dangerous new era – extreme weather causes unrelenting suffering.”

Heatwave around Amazon becomes more severe a natural climate phenomenon called El NiñoBut researchers at WWA and Climate Central say climate change remains a driving force.

Coupled with rising temperatures, parts of South America are seeing less rainfall. Colombian officials report Water levels in the Amazon have dropped by 90%, severely affecting power supplies, crop yields and causing wildfires.

Schools in Brazil and Colombia are closed due to lack of drinking water, with nearly half a million children believed to be affected, According to UNICEF.

The Amazon is also a vital lifeline for its namesake rainforest, supporting thousands of species and supporting the world's efforts to combat climate change.

Dr Regina Rodriguez, professor of physical oceanography and climate at Federal University, said: “We are concerned that (climate change) may irreversibly push forests towards a dry state, resulting in reduced water flows and carbon sinks, and reduced biodiversity. Loss.” Santa Catarina, Brazil.

“All of these critical processes are critical not just locally and regionally, but globally, in order to sustain life as we know it,” she said.

Some people suffer from a lack of rain, while others suffer from too much rain.

After six months of storms, the Philippines was hit by a record six typhoons in just 30 days in October and November. The country is one of the most vulnerable to these tropical storms due to its proximity to warm waters.

Landslides and floods caused by storms this season have killed more than 1,200 people across Southeast Asia.

There is currently no evidence that climate change is increasing the number of typhoons, hurricanes or cyclones (the same phenomenon but with different names around the world), although research suggests climate change may increase their intensity.

But an assessment of the season by WWA scientists concluded that record ocean temperatures in 2024 were “conducive” to the formation of such storms, and that climate change was exacerbating them.

Dr. Zach Zobel, an associate scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center who was not involved in the study, supported WWA's approach but added: “[This season]doesn't tell us anything that we don't already know is coming at 1.3-1.5C ( warm) world.

“Scientists have been warning that these extreme events would become more frequent within years or even decades,” he said.

Even the richest countries cannot fully protect themselves from extreme weather this year. The United States has experienced two hurricanes in quick succession – first Hurricane Helen and then Hurricane Milton – causing more than 260 deaths and $115 billion (£92 billion) worth of damage. According to research by Christian Aid.

Scientists have predicted that “Extraordinary” season Because Atlantic ocean temperatures rise, fueling hurricanes.

Although Hurricane Beryl on July 2 was the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic, Hurricane Helene was preceded by a lull in the middle of the hurricane season.

Dr Otto told the BBC that normally large storms can remove heat from the ocean, preventing new hurricanes from forming for a period of time, but qualitative evidence suggests that “because the entire upper ocean is very hot, this effect does not occur.”

She added that WWA hopes to conduct further analysis on this in the future.

Floods in Sudan and Nigeria in August and September showed how poorly maintained infrastructure can exacerbate extreme weather.

Heavy rains begin in July It brought widespread flooding, causing many dams to collapse, killing dozens of people and forcing thousands to leave their homes.

Reports from WWA and Climate Central estimate that these heavy rainfall events have become commonplace due to human-induced warming and are expected to occur on average every three to ten years.

Julie Arrighi from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Center said: “Our research continues to show the need for increased preparedness for extreme weather to reduce loss of life and damage.

“We are not ready for a warming of 1.3-1.5°C.”