Extreme weather

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Extreme weather includes weather phenomena that are at the extremes of historical patterns, especially severe or unseasonal weather [link].

Increasing dramatic weather catastrophes are due to an increase in the number of severe events and an increase in population densities which increase the number of people affected and damage caused by an event of given severity. There is controversy about the frequency of severe events: the World Meteorological Organization [link] has suggested a possible link between increasing extreme weather events and global warming, as have Hoyos et al. (2006), writing, "the increasing ... number of category 4 and 5 hurricanes ... is directly linked to" increasing temperatures. [link] Similarly, [Kerry Emmanuel in Nature] writes, "hurricane power dissipation is highly correlated with ... temperature, reflecting ... global warming." Hurricane modeling has produced similar results, e.g., "hurricanes, simulated under warmer, high-CO₂ conditions, are more intense ... than under present-day conditions.... greenhouse gas–induced warming may lead to ... increasing ... occurrence of highly destructive category-5 storms." [link] A commentary by 14 meteorologists [link] published by the American Meteorological Society counters those views, claiming, "research shows very little evidence to support the claim that the rising costs associated with weather ... are associated with changes in [their] frequency or intensity." The IPCC TAR, in 2001, made no strong statements on the issue. Further demographic changes and the effects of global warming are expected to continue this trend.

Contents

2006

Flooding

In January, a mudslide and accompanying rainfall killed at least 207 people on the north shore of the island of Java, in Indonesia.
In February, a massive mudslide buried the town of Guinsaugon on Leyte island in the Philippines. The entire town of 1,400 people was buried by the mudslide, and in total about 1,800 people were reported dead or missing.
In February, heavy rain and mudslides in eastern Indonesia killed at least 33 people in the city of Manado.
From March-April, heavy flooding along the coast of Colombia killed at least 70 people, including 31 people that were killed by a single landslide in Buenaventura on April 13.
In April, flash flooding in Yemen killed 25 people.
In May, heavy flooding in northern Thailand has left over 130 people dead or missing. So far, 51 people have been confirmed dead.[BBC]

Heat waves

In May, a heat wave throughout India contributed to 53 deaths. Heat waves like this are common in the hot, humid season prior to the monsoon season.

Severe weather

In March, a major tornado outbreak and severe weather killed 12 people in the Midwestern United States. It was the largest tornado outbreak ever in March, and was also the largest two-day outbreak in history. At least 84 tornadoes touched down.
In April, two more major tornado and severe weather outbreaks resulted in numerous fatalities across the Midwest. The first outbreak killed a total of 28 people, mostly in Tennessee. The worst damage occurred throughout the Tennessee Valley. At least 56 tornadoes touched down. [Forbes] The second oubtreak killed a total of 13 people. Tennessee was again the area most affected by this outbreak.

Tropical cyclones

In April, Cyclone Mala hit Myanmar (Burma) as a category 3-equivalent tropical cyclone, killing 22 people.
In May, Super Typhoon Chanchu plowed through the Philippines and wreaked havoc through the South China Sea before hitting southeastern China. In total, 294 people were killed or are missing, most from several fishing boats that sunk off the coast of Vietnam.

Winter weather

Record-setting snowfall throughout northern Japan that began in December continued through mid-January, dropping 13 feet of snow on some areas. By the end of the heavy snowfall, 87 people had been killed.
Cold weather that began in December spread throughout Bangladesh and northern India, leading to the first freeze in New Delhi in 70 years and killing at least 180 people throughout the region.
In January, the coldest weather in decades, accompanied by heavy snowfall and high winds in areas, occurred throughout Russia, Eastern Europe, and Scandinavia, leaving hundreds of people dead. [BBC] Snow fell throughout Europe, even as far south as the Greek Isles or the Portuguese sea resorts, with record-setting snowfall and near-record cold in many areas.

2005

Flooding

In February, widespread flooding and heavy snowfall in Pakistan and northern India killed at least 486 people throughout the country. Thousands were also left homeless after several dams burst due to heavy rainfall.
In February, at least 86 people were killed by heavy flooding in Colombia and Venezuela.
In March, heavy rainfall and snowmelt left 54 people dead in southern Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In March, flooding killed 25 people across Madagascar.
In April, extensive flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the Somali Region of eastern Ethiopia killed 134 people and left 50,000 homeless.
In May, extensive flooding in the city of Dire Dawa in Ethiopia killed 32 people.
In June, flooding caused by severe storms in Afghanistan killed 48 people.
In June, 117 people were killed when a primary school was washed away by a flash flood in far northeastern China.
In June, extensive flooding caused by heavy rainfall in Central America killed 82 people in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
In June, heavy rain in the state of Gujarat in India killed at least 130 people and left 175,000 homeless.
From May-July, widespread flooding in southeastern China killed at least 365 people. In Taiwan, 4 people were also killed.
In July, widespread, devastating flooding in Maharashtra and Mumbai, India killed at least 1,000 people and caused approximately $3.5 billion US in damage.
From July-August, widespread flooding across Eastern and Central Europe killed a total of 79 people in Bulgaria, Romania, Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Switzerland.
In August, flooding in northeastern Iran killed 43 people.
In August, flooding in the central China province of Hubei killed 32 people.
In September, extensive flooding in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India killed 66 people.
In September, flooding in southern Myanmar killed 27 people.
In October, 10 people were killed from widespread and record-setting rainfall throughout the Northeastern United States.
In October, devastating flooding throughout central Vietnam killed at least 67 people.
In November, flooding in the southern India state of Tamil Nadu killed 162 people.
In December, heavy monsoon rains caused extensive flooding throughout Southeast Asia that killed 130 people in Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Heatwaves

From May-June, a heatwave occurred across Pakistan, Bangladesh, and northern India and killed at least 400 people.
In descending order, the five years with the highest global average annual temperatures were 2005, 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2004, said Drew Shindell of the NASA institute in New York City on January 24 2006. "I think it's even fair to say that [2005 had] the warmest ... temperatures the world has experienced probably in the last million years." [link]

Severe weather

In January, storm winds swept across northern Europe. It killed at least 13 people and left millions without electricity. [(CNN)] [(BBC)]
In March, severe storms accompanied by a tornado in Bangladesh killed at least 56 people and left thousands homeless.
In August, 27 people were killed when thunderstorms brought down a passenger plane in Peru.
In November, a tornado in northern Kentucky and Evansville, Indiana, U.S. killed 26 people.

Tropical cyclones

In January, Tropical Cyclone Ernest killed at least 17 people in Madagascar.
In July, Hurricane Dennis killed 82 people in Haiti, Cuba, and the United States and destroyed at least 16,000 homes. Total damages amounted to $3-5 billion US.
In August, Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic damage along the Gulf Coast of the United States, forcing the effective abandonment of southeastern Louisiana (including New Orleans) for up to 2 months and damaging oil wells that sent gas prices in the U.S. to an all-time record high. Katrina killed at least 1,604 people and caused at least $75 billion US in damages, making it one of the costliest natural disasters of all time.
In September, Hurricane Rita left 119 people dead along the U.S. Gulf Coast and caused $9.4 billion US in damage.
In September, Typhoon Talim caused extensive flooding and killed at least 145 people in Taiwan and southern China.
In September, Typhoon Damrey caused extensive flooding throughout Southeast Asia, killing 94 people in Vietnam, the Philippines, southern China, and Thailand, with its remnants killing an additional 51 from heavy flooding in Nepal.
In October, extensive flooding exacerbated by Hurricane Stan affected nearly the entirety of Central America and southern Mexico. The storm, combined with Stan, killed between 1,080 and 2,100 people in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Villages along the shores of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala and other areas throughout the country were completely destroyed
In October, Hurricane Wilma killed 62 people in Jamaica, Haiti, Mexico, Cuba, and the United States and at one point became the most intense Atlantic Basin hurricane on record and the fastest-intesifying tropical cyclone on record.
In October, Tropical Storm Alpha killed 42 people in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. It also broke the record for the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record.
In October, Tropical Storm 04B killed at least 100 people in eastern India from extensive flooding.
In November, Tropical Storm Gamma caused widespread flooding that killed 37 people in Honduras, Belize, and Saint Vincent.

Winter weather

In January, heavy snowfall in northern Algeria left 21 people dead.
In February, very heavy snowfall left at least 230 people dead in northern India.
In May, heavy snow in southern Chile killed at least 45 people.
In December, an ice storm that accumulated more than 3/4 of an inch of ice left almost 700,000 people without power in the states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia in the United States. The storm left 4 people dead.
In December, record snowfall in Japan killed at least 6 people and knocked out power to about 600,000 people.

2004

February: A severe blizzard hits Nova Scotia with winds of 80 km/h+, leaving at least 9 people dead and the entire province without power for about 16 hours.
August: Hurricane Charley makes landfall in southwest Florida, killing 13.
September: Hurricane Frances makes landfall in Florida. Hurricane Ivan landed near Gulf Shores, Alabama, near the Florida Panhandle. Hurricane Jeanne makes landfall in central Florida and kills 3,000 in Haiti.
December: Another major blizzard hits Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Southern New Brunswick, leaving over 1.5 million people without electricity for an estimated 19 hours, and killing over 100 people.

2003

August: A heat wave with temperatures as high as 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit) strikes Europe. Because summer temperatures in much of northern Europe rarely exceed 30 °C (86 °F), the area was unprepared for the disaster. The death toll of the heat wave has been estimated to exceed 10,000. In relation with the heat wave, wildfires killed 18 people in Portugal. See: European Heat Wave of 2003
September: Hurricane Isabel makes landfall on the United States, killing at least 40 people.

2002

August:
*At least 109 are killed by floods caused by torrential rains in Europe, including the Malse, Blanice, and Vltava rivers of the Czech Republic, the Black Sea resort village of Shirokaya Balka near Novorossiisk in Russia (58 deaths), Germany (the Elbe and Pleisse), and Romania. The downpours have also caused extensive damage in Austria (the Rodl and Danube), Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, and Spain. Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla declared a state of emergency in Prague, Bohemia, Plzen and Karlovy Vary. The Elbe reached record heights in Dresden, flooding much of the city. All shipping on the Danube had to be halted. Premier Silvio Berlusconi approved $50 million in emergency aid in response to the $300 million in damage of northern Italy's crops.
*About 2000 people are killed by floods and landslides in Asia during its monsoon season.
September:
*On the night of September 8 a flash flood struck the Scottish city of Inverness, flooding parts of the city to a depth of 2 metres.
*On September 19, about one-third of the Maili glacier broke off from the Caucasus Mountains and buried Karmadon, Russia under up to 500 feet (150 m) of ice and debris, killing 125, including the young Russian movie star Sergei Bodrov Jr.

2001

2000

January:
* Floods killed 12, leaving thousands homeless in Brazil.
* 15 inches (380 mm) of snow fell in Israel, the most in 50 years
February:
* The worst avalanches in decades prompted the governor of Alaska to declare a state of emergency througout regions of the state
* Floods killed 11 and left 20,000 homeless in the Philippines
* A month of floods in Southern Africa, particularly Mozambique, killed 400 and displaced 250,000
October/November: England experienced the country's worst flooding in decades after a prolonged period of heavy rain. The historic city of York and the towns of Shrewsbury, Lewes and Uckfield were among the worst hit areas. Up to 10,000 homes and businesses were affected.

1999

Record drought in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states led to declarations of emergency in six states.
The first $1 billion tornado devastates the Oklahoma City area on May 3. It also produces the highest wind speed ever recorded at 318 mph.
Summer: a prolonged heat wave killed 271 people in the Midwest and Northeast.
Fall: Hurricane Floyd caused billions of dollars of damages in North Carolina
November: a super-cyclone in Orissa, India, killed 10,000 people
December:
*Torrential rains and mudslides in Venezuela killed 15,000 people
*Hurricane-force windstorms in Northern Europe caused over $10 billion in damages and killed 91 people in France alone

1998

January: an ice storm in northern New England, Eastern Ontario and Quebec left 4 million people without power, some for up to a month
Spring: fires in Brazil, Mexico rainforests, and Florida
Summer:
*Extreme heat waves in Texas, Florida, the Middle East, and India killed more than 4,000 people
*The worst drought in 70 years was followed by extreme floods in September in Mexico
September: floods left 14 million people homeless in China
October: floods left 30 million people homeless in Bangladesh
October-November: Hurricane Mitch killed more than 18,000 people in Central America

1976

July: a stationary rain storm in the Rocky Mountains caused a flash flood of the Big Thompson Canyon that killed 145 people, and caused more than $40 million dollars in damage, including the destruction of parts of highway 34. [NOAA News Online]

1936

February-March: Record cold followed by rapid warming causes flooding across several northeastern states, killing 171 and leaving 430,000 homeless[link]
April: The Tupelo-Gainesville Outbreak of tornadoes kills 436
July-August: A heat wave across the Midwest and Northeast U.S. claims 5,000 lives. Record temperatures from this event still stand across fifteen states [link]

1927

Flooding along the lower Mississippi River claims more than 300,000 lives, leaving 700,000 homeless[link]

1923

Marble Bar in Western Australia experiences 160 consecutive days of maxima reaching or exceeding 37.8 °C (100 °F) from 31 October 1923 to 7 April 1924 [link].

1900

September 8: The Galveston Hurricane claims in excess of 8,000 lives

External links

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Extreme weather

2006

Flooding

Heat waves

Severe weather

Tropical cyclones

Winter weather

2005

Flooding

Heatwaves

Severe weather

Tropical cyclones

Winter weather

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1976

1936

1927

1923

1900

See also

External links