Study Finds Climate Change Intensified Deadly Storms in the Philippines
A study from the World Weather Attribution revealed that climate change intensified a series of six storms in the Philippines from October to November 2024, resulting in over 170 deaths and causing US$500 million in damage. The storms reflect an alarming trend of increasing intensity, with rising sea temperatures contributing to more destructive typhoons in the region.
A recent study has revealed that climate change significantly exacerbated a deadly series of storms in the Philippines between October and November 2024, resulting in over 170 fatalities. The analysis conducted by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) highlights that an unprecedented six storms—including five typhoons and one tropical storm—struck within just 23 days, displacing approximately 1.4 million people and inflicting severe economic damages estimated at nearly US$500 million. The research indicates that climate change has nearly doubled the likelihood of conditions that foster such storms, with an increasing trend towards stronger cyclones reaching Category 3 to 5 levels due to rising sea temperatures and humidity. Dr. Ben Clarke from Imperial College London remarked that “the barrage of typhoons was supercharged by climate change,” underlining the expectation of continued increases in storm intensity as global temperatures rise. The study coincides with reports from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, which has indicated that 2024 is on track to be the warmest year on record, prompting concern over the implications of rising ocean temperatures on future typhoon activity in the region.
The Philippines is situated in a region of the Pacific Ocean known for its high incidence of tropical cyclones, generating about a third of all such storms worldwide. The nation typically experiences six to eight landfalling tropical cyclones each year. However, the recent surge from late October to mid-November 2024, when five severe storms struck in a short span, is unprecedented. This unusual series is attributed to escalating climate impacts, notably the effects of human-induced fossil fuel emissions that have resulted in increased sea surface temperatures and altered atmospheric conditions favoring stronger storm development. WWA has diligent efforts in linking extreme weather events to climate change, consistently demonstrating that climate change intensifies the severity of such phenomena.
In conclusion, the findings of the WWA study clearly indicate that climate change is playing a critical role in the increased intensity and frequency of devastating storms in the Philippines. With projections suggesting enhanced storm conditions due to ongoing global warming, the nation faces heightened risks of severe weather events in the future. It is paramount for policymakers and communities to address these climate challenges to mitigate the impacts of such disastrous occurrences.
Original Source: asianews.network
