Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing planetary climate, water-related hazards apical the database of earthy disasters with the highest quality losses successful the past 50 years, according to a caller study by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970-2019) – which volition beryllium published successful September – finds that of the 10 disasters causing the astir quality fatalities successful the past 5 decades, droughts apical the database with immoderate 650,000 deaths crossed the globe.
Storms caused upwards of 577,000 fatalities, floods led to much than 58,000 deaths, and utmost temperatures caused implicit 55,000 to die.
China Fire and Rescue
Frontline workers drain flooded roadworthy tunnels successful Zhengzhou, the superior metropolis of China's cardinal Henan Province.
Extreme rainfall events
Excerpts from the study were released arsenic temperatures successful parts of North America soar, and unprecedented flooding in north-central Europe continues to predominate quality headlines.
The German nationalist meteorological work said up to 2 months’ worthy of rainfall fell successful 2 days, connected 14 and 15 July, affecting parts of Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Austria.
According to quality reports, much than 120 radical person died successful Germany alone, and hundreds stay missing.
Meanwhile, parts of the cardinal Chinese state of Henan received much accumulated rainfall betwixt 17 and 21 July than the emblematic mean for a afloat calendar year.
Economic losses
The study estimates that, of the apical 10 events examined betwixt 1970 and 2019, storms accounted for astir $ 521 cardinal successful economical losses, portion floods accounted for astir $115 billion.
Excerpts from the study amusement that floods and storms resulted successful the largest losses successful Europe successful the past 50 years, astatine a outgo of $377.5 billion.
A 2002 flood successful Germany caused $16.48 cardinal successful losses, representing the azygous costliest lawsuit successful Europe during the play studied.
Across the continent, a full of 1,672 recorded disasters resulted successful astir 160,000 deaths and $476.5 cardinal successful economical damages.
China Fire and Rescue
Emergency workers rescue an aged idiosyncratic successful Xuchang, successful China's Henan Province.
‘Clearly linked’ to clime change
“Weather, clime and water-related hazards are increasing successful frequence and strength arsenic a effect of clime change,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
“The quality and economical toll was highlighted with tragic effect by the torrential rainfall and devastating flooding and nonaccomplishment of beingness successful cardinal Europe and China successful the past week,” helium added.
Also noting that the caller record-breaking heatwaves successful North America are “clearly linked” to planetary warming, Taalas cited a recent rapid attribution analysis that clime change, caused by greenhouse state emissions, made the heatwave at slightest 150 times much apt to happen.
Emphasizing that nary state is immune from specified changes, helium said it is imperative to put much successful clime alteration adaptation, including by strengthening multi-hazard aboriginal informing systems.