London: Climate change made the 10 deadliest extreme weather events over the past two decades worse, contributing to the deaths of more than 570,000 people, scientists have said.
According to Oman News Agency, climate scientists stated that these findings emphasize the dangers of extreme weather events that have occurred with just 1.3 degrees Celsius of global warming above pre-industrial levels. The report highlights the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as these emissions are driving rising temperatures and more extreme weather. The world is currently on track for 3 degrees of warming by the end of the century, a level recently described by UN chief Antonio Guterres as “catastrophic.”
The assessment, published by the World Weather Attribution group, coincides with the 10th anniversary of its formation in 2014. The group was established to analyze the impact of climate change on extreme weather events in their immediate aftermath. This year also marks 20 years since the first “attribution stu
dy,” which linked climate change to a specific weather event, was published by British scientists for the 2003 heatwave in Europe that resulted in 70,000 deaths.
The 10 deadliest events identified by the group include three tropical cyclones, four heatwaves, a drought, and two floods, collectively resulting in at least 576,042 deaths. Among these events was the 2022 heatwave that swept across much of Europe, leading to record temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius in the UK and causing tens of thousands of deaths across the continent.
The assessment demonstrates how climate change increased the likelihood and intensity of the extreme temperatures experienced during that summer, raising them by as much as 4 degrees. The analysis also examines European heatwaves in 2015 and 2023, noting that the temperatures in the western Mediterranean during the latter event would have been “impossible” without climate change.
In all 10 events, scientists note the “fingerprints of climate change,” which made these weather phen
omena more intense and more likely to occur. They caution that the death toll is a “major underestimate,” as there may have been millions more heat-related deaths not captured in official statistics.
Friederike Otto, co-founder and lead of World Weather Attribution at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, emphasized that “climate change isn’t a distant threat. It worsened extreme weather events that left more than 570,000 people dead.”
The researchers pointed out that many deaths resulting from extreme weather could have been prevented. They urge countries to enhance their preparedness, including implementing early warning systems and boosting resilience in urban areas through measures such as wetlands, green roofs, urban forests, and emergency shelters. Additionally, infrastructure like dams should be climate-proofed to prevent failures.
However, the report also acknowledges the limits of community adaptation to some of the most extreme weather events currently being witnessed worl
dwide.