The organization said that the number of extreme weather events worldwide has witnessed a “staggering increase” over the past thirty years United nationsExperts warn that climate change is “exacerbating” the problem Associated Press.
Climate change is also causing more “compound events,” according to NPR, which is when “climate change causes two extreme things to happen at the same time,” according to an annual report from the American Meteorological Society. “The risk of extreme events is increasing, affecting every corner of the world,” Sarah Kapnick, a senior scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told NPR. Here's a historical look at the extreme weather events that will unfold in 2023.
January
The year began with the sixth warmest January on record, with the average temperature reaching 35.2 degrees Fahrenheit in the United States, for each month. Noah. This was due to the jet stream spreading warmer Pacific air across the country, along with high pressure that pushed the storms westward.
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There were also high levels of rainfall, making 2023 the third wettest January on record. A record number of atmospheric rivers brought unprecedented rainfall to drought-stricken California. The state witnessed 10 storms, which led to floods and landslides, as well as snowfall in mountainous areas, according to what Bloomberg News Agency reported. Los Angeles Times.
The Midwest and South experienced a series of tornadoes. The Storm Prediction Center reported 168 initial reports of tornadoes, most of them in the South.
February
February began with an ice storm across Texas and the Midwest, as well as freezing temperatures throughout the Northeast. The Midwest also saw several tornadoes throughout the month, which is unusual for February mail.
Later in the month, the United States experienced extremely cold temperatures and unusually warm temperatures. Southern California experienced winter storm conditions, hampering travel in the region CNNWhile other parts of the country (especially across the southeastern United States) saw almost spring-like temperatures mail mentioned.
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Cyclone Freddy made renewed headlines in March, after it first “hit” Madagascar and Mozambique at the end of February. mail books. The storm then made landfall in Mozambique for the second time on March 11. Freddie lasted more than a month and was one of the longest-lived tropical cyclones on record, as well as one of the most active storms on Earth. At least 400 people were killed in Malawi and Mozambique and dozens of others were injured, according to local sources. Reuters.
Also in March, California's atmospheric river brought a “bomb cyclone” that killed two people and knocked out power to more than 100,000 people, each year. Publish the report. He added that the winds reached hurricane speeds and affected 35 million people CNN, where the San Francisco Bay Area experiences the harshest weather. The storm was considered “the strongest March storm ever recorded in the Bay Area,” according to Letters of News.
Tornadoes struck the South in March, killing at least 25 people in Mississippi and one person in Alabama. AP mentioned. The National Weather Service reported winds between 166 and 200 mph and gave the storm an EF-4 hurricane rating.
April
A deadly storm system swept through the Midwest, South and mid-Atlantic from March 31 to April 1, bringing with it tornadoes that left at least 32 people dead and many people without power. As of April 7, nearly as many people had been killed by hurricanes in the first three months of 2023 as hurricanes typically kill in an entire year. CBS News mentioned.
Tornadoes continued throughout the month, with a storm on April 19 in Oklahoma that killed at least three people and was considered “very large and dangerous,” according to Reuters. McLean County Emergency Management. More than 17,000 residents in the central United States were without electricity, as unstable air led to storms accompanied by high winds across Texas and the South.
The month of April was also marked by many events Heat waves In Asia and the Mediterranean. Several countries in Asia, including Bangladesh, India, Laos and Thailand, saw some of their highest temperatures yet, in some cases reaching more than 113 degrees Fahrenheit, for each year. BBC. In the Mediterranean, Spain and Morocco witnessed record temperatures exceeding 101 degrees Fahrenheit. New York times mentioned. Both heat waves are attributed to climate change.
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As summer approaches, so do summer weather events. Wildfires have broken out in Alberta, Canada, causing air quality to decline around the world. While wildfires are common in the spring, this was an “unusually active” start to the season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said. chirp. Smoke from the fires quickly moved into the United States, and several states – including Montana, Nebraska, Washington, and Wisconsin – issued air quality warnings.
Cyclone Mocha struck Myanmar and Pakistan in the middle of the month. It is estimated that hundreds were killed, and hundreds of thousands were displaced. Many of those affected were refugees or Rohingya Muslims, who were moved to the area a decade ago.
Typhoon Mawar then unleashed its power on Guam, causing widespread power outages in the region. The storm was classified as a Category 4 hurricane, one of the strongest hurricanes to hit Guam in modern history.
June
June started with smoke from Canadian wildfires It exploded across the United States, starting in the northeast before spreading to the south and west. The smoke raised the level of particles in the air, causing dangerous air quality in several areas.
Later that month, India experienced a strong heatwave that led to several power outages and the deaths of nearly 170 people. Heat waves are only declared in India if “temperatures are at least 4.5 degrees Celsius above normal, or if the temperature is above 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit),” the institute wrote. AP. Hospitals were over capacity and suffered loss of power and cooling systems.
June also saw tornadoes in Mississippi, causing one death and several injuries, according to a Mississippi state report AP. Electricity was cut off to nearly 50,000 homes in the area.
Tropical Storm Brett then formed in the Atlantic Ocean and moved toward the eastern Caribbean Sea in an “unusually early and violent start to the Atlantic hurricane season,” the center said. AP mentioned. “No June has ever had two storms in the tropical Atlantic.”
July
“July 3-6 were the four hottest days on record globally, with the hottest on July 6, when the average global temperature rose to an unprecedented high of 17.23 °C (63.02 °F),” per Axios. Various regions around the world have experienced heat waves, including Europe, China and parts of the United States. Boy And Extremely warm oceans.
Meanwhile, climate change worsened India's monsoon season, when severe floods killed at least 100 people. the post mentioned. The flow of water also destroyed parts of highways and other infrastructure.
August
August saw extremely high global temperatures resulting in a number of devastating disasters. For example, the Hawaiian island of Maui has seen A Terrible forest fires Which killed more than 110 people. Experts blamed climate change for the devastation. “When the air is hotter, it can hold more water vapor, and that means you get more water evaporating from plants, and that dries them out,” said Jeff Masters, a meteorologist at Yale Climate Connections. time.
Then California was inundated by Tropical Storm Hillary, the first such storm to hit the southern part of the state in 84 years. AP mentioned. At the end of the month, Florida was hit by Category 3 Hurricane Idalia, which caused agricultural damage ranging from $78 million to $371 million.
September
September started off hot. Australia continued to see heatwaves, which were “very uncommon in September”, according to the British Daily Mail. Reuters. The heat also “increased fire risks in many areas due to high fire danger ratings, and authorities urged residents to prepare for wildfires.”
Later, Libya witnessed heavy rains that caused… Devastating floods. Rain also passed through Greece, parts of Bulgaria and Turkey AP mentioned. Experts attributed the severity of the floods to climate change. “Through these events, we are already seeing how climate change and human factors can come together to create a compound and cascading effect,” said Maja Valberg from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Climate Center in the Netherlands.
Last but not least, Tropical Storm Ophelia hit the East Coast at the end of the month, bringing strong winds and flooding up and down the coast. Fortunately, the storm was not as devastating as authorities originally feared, according to the Washington Post.
October
This month has seen heavy rains all over the world. After heavy rain in New York City, he was still there High risk of flooding. In addition, much of northern Europe experienced strong winds and flooding. In the United Kingdom, three people died due to the weather, with Scotland and Denmark experiencing dangerous stormy weather. “This is not typical autumn weather,” said Andy Page, chief meteorologist at the Met Office. AP. “This is an exceptional event, and we are likely to continue to see significant impacts with the potential for further flooding and property damage.”
The Caribbean also experienced Hurricane Tammy, the seventh of the Atlantic hurricane season. The Category 1 storm brought hurricane warnings to Guadeloupe, Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, and St. Kitts and Nevis. Orlando Sentinel mentioned. The area witnessed strong winds and rain.
November
Although November did not see a lot of extreme weather, it was still characterized by high temperatures, rain and drought. Florida witnessed heavy rains that led to flooding and winds reaching 60 miles high. Additionally, “much of this area already has saturated soil due to recent rains.” New York times mentioned. “The earth acts like a sponge: if you keep adding water to it, eventually, it won't be able to hold up anymore.”
In Asia, November was a record-breaking month for temperature. “High temperatures ranged from the low 70s in Mongolia to the mid-80s in Russia and up to nearly 100 degrees in the Philippines,” it reported. Washington Post. “These temperatures were as much as 20 to 35 degrees above normal.” This is in line with Climate records Hit this year and many areas are experiencing heat waves.
December
The year ended with a series of storms around the world. The east coast of the United States witnessed heavy rains that led to flooding and power outages. In the north-east of the country, 400,000 people Power was lost in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maine. Florida and South Carolina were also hit by heavy rain. “It's not just the areas where we typically see flooding that are vulnerable to flooding,” said Jackie Brosch, a spokesman for Georgetown County, South Carolina. Associated Press. “It's areas we don't really expect to have flooding issues…it's like a tropical storm, it just happens to happen in December.”
Across the world in China, there was a rare case of snowfall. Cold weather reached historic lows in the north of the country and brought snow to the south. “The temperature has dropped to as low as 8°C (46.4°F) in Guangzhou, compared with typical early winter temperatures in the province hovering in the single digits, while the January average is around 14°C (57°F).” Reuters.
Editor's Note: This article has been updated throughout the year.
