Mother Nature’s Weather Madness – not a day goes by without excessive weather events happening around the world. Climate change is only making matters worse.
Hurricanes ‘Milton’ and ‘Helene’ tore through the US, causing deaths and leaving destruction and chaos in their wake. Last weekend, a polar cyclone also caused enormous regional flooding in our neighboring country Italy. And the experts agree: climate change is making severe weather disasters worse – also in Europe!
Storms in Southern Europe always occur in autumn and spring
“Water temperatures play a crucial role in tropical cyclones, which is why it is believed that climate change will lead to a faster intensification of storms,” warns Konstantin Brandes from the private weather station Ubimet in the “Krone” interview – and continues: “Blocked weather conditions will climate change will become more common as atmospheric circulation changes. In addition, the amount of rain in moist, saturated air increases by about seven percent with each degree of warming. Local thunderstorms can lead to significantly more precipitation on average than would be the case without climate change.”
High water temperatures
However, the recent weather madness in “bella Italia”, which also caused flooding in France, is well known and occurs every year in autumn and early winter. Brandes: “In the summer, southern Europe is often under the influence of subtropical high-pressure areas, which spread northwards from the Azores and North Africa. In autumn, the jet stream slowly shifts southward and the extensions of the subtropical high-pressure belt are pushed towards Africa.”
This increases low-pressure activity, which, in combination with the still high water temperatures, leads to unstable stratification of the air. The result: heavy rain and flooding. But which severe weather scenarios will we be more affected by in Austria?
Extreme wind events are increasing in Central Europe
Brandes: “Days with light to moderate rain are becoming increasingly rare, while days with large amounts of precipitation have become increasingly common over the past thirty years. Although extreme precipitation is increasing, the risk of drought is also increasing regionally.” But also in the Alpine Republic, evaporation is constantly increasing in a warmer climate, and on the other hand, plants withdraw more water from the soil due to the longer drought. phases. A vicious circle.
The GeoSphere Austria experts also agree when it comes to storms. Models indicate that extreme wind events are increasing in Central Europe, especially along the Alps. More fall and winter storms are expected.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
