Climate and Catastrophic Weather Events

摘要: The impacts of global climate change are conventionally discussed in terms changes temperature averaged over the year and globe. Much less emphasis has been placed on anticipated weather variability. Of particular interest extreme events such as windstorms, hurricanes, floods, droughts, hailstorms, tornadoes, etc. In last decade, number catastrophic is three times great, cost to world economies, eight higher than decade 1960s. part, due greater vulnerability society a result increasing urbanization. 1997, with exceptionally few natural disasters, 13,000 deaths could be attributed weather-related events, economic losses were $30 billion, compared $60 billion 1996. most frequent disasters 1997 windstorms which accounted for 82% no 97% insured losses. Floods devastated large areas China, Latin America United States. As 1996 Central Europe, experienced flood when heaviest precipitation ever recorded inundated Poland, Germany, Czech Republic Austria. Whether frequency intensity extremes will increase or decrease warmer not known; spatial scales much too small captured current models. However, surface oceans undoubtedly lead increased water content atmosphere, since vapor pressure rises exponentially temperature. Thus, it highly likely that at least some regions globe experience more flooding world.