Human-caused climate change linked to extreme weather events
According to research published in the Bulletin of American Meteorological Society (BAMS), scientists say human-caused climate change made extreme weather events more likely. These are the failed monsoon rains that reignited the southwestern US drought, a spring heatwave in western Europe, and intense Siberian wildfires.
The report, “Explaining Extreme Events in 2020 from a Climate Perspective,” presents 18 new peer-reviewed analyses of extreme weather across the world during 2020. It features the research of 89 scientists from nine countries looking at historical observations and model simulations to determine whether and by how much climate change may have influenced particular extreme events.
Keith Seitter, Executive Director of the American Meteorological Society, says, “International efforts to increase the speed at which attribution studies can be performed highlights the growing demand for timely information about the impacts of climate change to inform decision making and policy.”
He further said that understanding how human-caused climate change impacts extreme events today and in the future is critical for shaping how society will choose to respond to these impacts.
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