5 Weather Changes We’re Likely To See Due To Climate Change
Climate change is something that more people are becoming aware of on a daily basis, and has become a divisive topic on a political scale. A majority of Americans feel that the government is not doing enough to combat climate change, with around three quarters saying that it’s very much real and will negatively impact the future of the world. No matter what side of the aisle you’re on, it’s hard to ignore the natural disasters that have been happening recently. Things will only escalate in the near future, too, with these changes being more frequent in coming years.
5. Hurricanes
As the atmosphere continues to warm up, we will not only see a slight rise in the amount of hurricanes, but they will also become more intense. We’re seeing more category 4 and 5 hurricanes in recent years, as these storms are able to hold more water vapor. This creates rainfall that’s damaging and wind that can knock down structures. Of the 10 years in which there were the most hurricanes (a statistic that’s been tracked since 1851), six of those years have happened since 2003.
4. Drought
While hurricanes are producing more rain, those that are not getting hit by hurricanes are suffering through a complete lack of precipitation due to climate change. When we get warmer temperatures, evaporation is at its highest and leads to surface water becoming dried out. We’re also seeing lakes and rivers start to lose their water levels, and it’s causing a global crisis. Precipitation overall is down in many areas, and it’s killing crops and water supplies.
3. Increased Flooding
You might think to yourself that drought on a global scale couldn’t possibly lead to flooding, but climate change does affect those that live near certain bodies of water. Think of areas like Louisiana that have been hit hard with hurricanes and experienced flooding. You’ll start to see that more in coastal areas as the ice caps continue to melt, causing water levels to rise and flooding to increase. Flash floods are also becoming more common due to the water vapors we discussed earlier.
2. Heatwaves
It’s only natural that if the global temperature is increasing, it’s going to bring a lot of heatwaves. Just take the European heatwave of 2022 for example, where many were not prepared due to lack of air conditioning and sadly lost their lives. Looking at the average global temperature, it has consistently been on the rise. There have only been two years since 2012 where the average global temperature was below 55 degrees fahrenheit, compare to an average of about 50 degrees a century ago.
1. Wildfires
Over the past few years, some of the biggest news headlines came because of wildfires that were happening in the United States and Australia. It’s something that we’ll see more of as the temperatures rise and the ground becomes more dry. Scientists say that we’re on the doorstep of a wildfire crisis on a global scale, with estimates saying there will be an increase of more than 50 percent in less than a century. It’s scary to think about, but areas that are more humid now might be at risk in 100 years.