Increasing levels of Extreme Weather

Extreme weather events classified as hydro-meteorological hazards by the Emergency Events Database.

Increase in reported extreme weather

• Frequency (how often)
• Magnitude (size)
• Impact (amount of damage)

Flood events

• Coastal river and flash flooding
• 10% of land surface is very flood prone
• Flood prone land contains 40% of the world's people.
• Areas include Midwest USA, coastal South America, Bangladesh and Northern England.

Storms

• Mainly tropical cyclones (hurricanes, typhoons)
• Can include tornadoes and temperate storms
• Concentrated in tropical belts, especially coastal areas covering 7% of the world's area but 24% of the world's population.

Droughts

• A drought is when there is less than 50% median rainfall over 3 or more months
• Often includes extreme,heat,wildfires and the secondary hazard of famine
• Affects 40% of the world's land surface containing 70% of the population and 70% of agricultural production

Slides

• Can be a secondary hazard resulting from extreme weather (e.g. heavy rain or snowfall. Includes avalanches)
• Affects 5% of the world's population

What are the reasons for the increasing level of extreme weather?

• More reporting because of improved communication
• Different methods of recording events
• Population growth leads top densely populated hazard prone areas
• Deforestation and land degradation, increasing magnitude of floods and droughts
• Climate Change has an impact on extreme weather but there are other contributing factors