World Meteorological Organization The start was announced From the current El Niño phenomenon on July 4, 2023, it will be almost a year in a row. Record-breaking temperaturesAccording to the National Center for Environmental Information, 61 percent chance This year could be even hotter than last year, which could pose a danger to areas prone to deadly heat waves during the summer. 2,300 people Researchers predict that heat stroke deaths in the U.S. could reach 2 million in 2023, but the actual figure is Probably higher.
All this heat also accumulates in the ocean, and for over a year Surface temperature is very high and More than half of the world’s coral reefs are bleachedThey also provide potential fuel for hurricanes, which form when energy is sucked vertically up into the atmosphere. Normally, the trade winds spread heat and moisture across the water surface, preventing these forces from concentrating in one place. But during La Niña, cooler temperatures over the Pacific weaken the high-altitude winds in the Atlantic that normally disperse storms, allowing hurricanes to form. More easily formed.
“When this pattern forms in the Pacific Ocean, it changes wind patterns around the world,” said Matthew Rosenkrans, chief forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “If it’s strong, it can become a dominant signal across the planet.”
This year’s forecast is especially dangerous because of a rapid shift in the La Niña climate in midsummer that could cause ocean waters to boil. NOAA forecasters expect these conditions to lead to at least 17 new named storms, about half of which could become hurricanes. Even hurricanes with relatively low wind speeds could pack enough water to cause devastating flooding. Hundreds of miles inland.
“It’s important to consider that climate change is going to make things worse,” says Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist at Texas A&M University. While human-caused warming doesn’t directly increase the frequency of hurricanes, Make it more destructive“The question is how bad it will get,” he said.
Over the past 10 months, El Niño has caused extreme heat and dried out land in parts of the United States. Drought-stricken areas are more likely to experience severe flooding after periods without rain, when rain finally comes and the amount is heavy, as soil may be too dry to absorb the water. When dry land and soaring temperatures dry out vegetation, conditions are ripe for wildfires.
The National Joint Fire Center predicts that California will have a lower than average chance of major fires this year, thanks in part to the El Niño weather pattern bringing unusually heavy rainfall to the state, but other areas may not be so lucky. Seasonal wildfire risk map Highlighting Hawaii as the hardest hit state in the country The most horrible hell The drought that continued in Maui in August last year is a factor. Canada, which experienced its worst wildfire season last summer, could face further problems after its warmest winter on record. Smoke from hundreds of wildfires already began spreading across Alberta and British Columbia in May. seeping across the Canadian border to the Midwestern states.
“We’re leaving the climate of the 20th century and entering the new climate of the 21st century,” Dessler said. Unfortunately, our cities were built for a range of temperatures and weather conditions that no longer exist.
To prepare for a hurricane, Rosenkrans said people who live along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic coastal states should: Government disaster prevention website To find disaster kit checklists and advice on developing an emergency plan, he said: “Thinking about it now, rather than when the storm is approaching, can save you a lot of time, energy and stress.”
