The floods, droughts, heatwaves and storms could be part of the climate’s natural variations and cannot be directly attributed to climate change. However, such instances of extreme weather are consistent with predictions of what will happen as the world’s climate grows warmer.
The findings may fuel concern that action to stem climate change should be taken now. Experts from the Intergovernmental Group on Climate Change have said the process would become irreversible if temperatures rise 3°C above pre-industrial levels. The WMO said global land surface temperatures in 2007 were 1.89°C warmer than average for January, and 1.37°C warmer than average for April. It tracked an alarming incidence of unusually adverse weather from Europe and Asia to Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.
“Monsoon extremes and incessant rains caused large-scale flooding all over South Asia,” it said, “a situation that continues even now, resulting in more than 500 deaths, displacement of more than 10m people and destruction of vast areas of croplands, livestock and property.” Cyclone Gonu, the first documented cyclone in the Arabian Sea, landed in Oman on June 6 with maximum sustained winds of nearly 148km/h, affecting more than 20,000 people.
In east Asia, heavy rains in June ravaged southern China, where flooding affected more than 13.5m people; while in England and Wales the period from May to July was the wettest since records began in 1766. Germany also saw its wettest May since countrywide observations started in 1901; in sharp contrast with the previous month, which was its driest April since 1901.
Further south, the worst flooding in six years hit Mozambique in February, while abnormally heavy and early rainfall in Sudan since the end of June has caused the Nile River and other seasonal rivers to overflow. A series of large swell waves (3 metres-4.5 metres) swamped 68 islands in 16 atolls in the Maldives, while to the west, in Latin America, early May saw Uruguay’s worst flooding since 1959. These deluges were matched by extremes of temperature in other parts of the world, with two record-breaking heatwaves affecting southeastern Europe in June and July.
In May, Moscow recorded its highest temperature since 1891. In July, temperatures in Argentina and Chile plunged to –22°C and –18°C, respectively. South Africa, on June 27, experienced its first significant snowfall since 1981 (25cm of snow in parts of the country).
The UN will hold a high-level meeting on climate change in September, ahead of a ministerial conference in Bali in December.
Subscribe
Subscribe to IEMA's newsletters to receive timely articles, expert opinions, event announcements, and much more, directly in your inbox.
Posted on 16th August 2007
Latest Posts
-
IEMA focus on skills, adaptation and nature-based solutions in CCC report
- 18th July 2024 -
Labour's plan for economic growth must mean green growth – but there is a green skills gap looming
- 5th July 2024 -
As Labour plans to “slash red tape” for economic growth, YouGov poll finds 3 in 5 people want to increase public involvement in planning system
- 28th June 2024 -
Medtronic agrees partnership with IEMA to accelerate skills and standards in sustainability
- 21st June 2024 -
Landmark climate impact ruling for fossil fuel projects, cites IEMA guidance
- 20th June 2024 -
IEMA sets out 18 policy asks for the next Government
- 3rd June 2024