Climate Change Fuelling Hurricanes

In Context

• Recently, Hurricane Fiona hit the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Correlation of Climate change & hurricanes 

• About:
  • Although scientists have not yet concluded that Fiona’s behaviour or severity was influenced by climate change, there is compelling evidence that these catastrophic storms are getting worse.
• Change in nature of hurricanes:
  • Hurricanes are becoming wetter, windier, and generally more powerful as a result of climate change. Additionally, there is proof that it is making storms move more slowly, allowing them to dump more water in one location. 
• Creating grounds:
  • Temperature:
    • Climate change would have caused the earth to become much hotter if it weren’t for the oceans. 
    • However, over the past 40 years, the ocean has absorbed 90% of the warming brought on by emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. 
    • Near the water’s surface, the majority of this ocean heat is concentrated. 
    • Stronger winds and increased storm severity may result from this added heat. 
  • Moisture:
    • Additionally, a storm’s ability to produce more rainfall can increase due to climate change. 
    • A warmer environment can store more moisture, thus water vapour accumulates until clouds form and raindrops are released, sending down heavy rain.
• Frequency of hurricanes:
  • The normal “season” for hurricanes is changing as a result of climate change since more months of the year are becoming storm-friendly. 
    • Additionally, hurricanes are making landfall in places that deviate greatly from the historical norm. 
  • However, it’s uncertain whether climate change is having an impact on the frequency of storms. 

Impact of Climate Change in India

• Extreme Events:
  • The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has sighted that 2022 has seen the second highest extreme events since 1902. 
    • Persistence of intense La Nina conditions, 
    • The abnormal warming of East Indian Ocean, 
    • Negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), 
    • Southward movement of most of the monsoon depressions and lows and 
    • Pre-monsoon heating over the Himalayan region are melting glaciers. 
    • This is a very complex mix.
  • Recent research indicates that monsoon rainfall became less frequent but more intense in India during the latter half of the 20th century. 
• Triple-dip la Nina:
  • WMO recently predicted that La Niña conditions, which involve a large-scale cooling of ocean surface temperatures, have strengthened in the eastern and central equatorial Pacific with an increase in trade winds.
  • India is seeing an extended spell of the La Nina, called a ‘triple dip’ La Nina which is a phenomenon lasting across three winter seasons in the northern hemisphere. 
• Shift of monsoon weather systems:
  • Usually, monsoon systems move across Northwest India giving rains over the region there. 
  • But this year most of the monsoon weather systems have been travelling across central parts of the country, changing the area of rainfall. 
    • As a result, States such as Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and parts of Maharashtra have been recording excess rainfall this season. 
    • West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are experiencing the worst monsoon season of the century.
    • Experts believe that these changes are here to stay, which would continue to propel extreme weather events over the entire South Asian region.
  • Worldwide implications:
    • During the last six months, entire South Asia has been reporting a series of extreme weather events. 
    • While Bangladesh, India and Pakistan have battled severe floods, China is reeling under massive drought conditions.

Way Ahead

• Millions of crop producers and consumers are being affected negatively with these unprecedented changes which are also raising concerns over food security.
• Limiting warming:
  • The current atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations are higher than at any time in the last two million years. 
  • To align with a 1.5°C target of limiting warming, global CO2 emissions must reach net zero around 2050, with global GHG emissions reaching net-zero 15-20 years later. 
• Slow onsets can still be taken care of through adaptation and resilience ideas but these kinds of big events are very difficult to cope with. 
  • That is where the main issue lies as the country would then have to divert development money to climate finance to combat climate change.

Source: TH