NASA recently released a report that is creating a stir on the scientific community—this report states that, according to the latest information from the news agency provided, extreme weather events have doubled in the last five years, outpacing the 2003–2020 average.
Utilizing satellite observations from NASA’s GRACE mission, the scientists conducted an analysis that shows the world is experiencing extreme weather disasters (floods, droughts, heatwaves, wildfires) with greater frequency, duration, and intensity than ever before.
Such an increase signals the need for immediate global cooperation to combat the growing perils of climate change.
Unprecedented Increase in Weather Extremes
According to the data that was analyzed by NASA’s Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, the severity and frequency of extreme weather has not only increased, but the sheer rate at which it is happening has startled researchers.
Within the last 5 years, there were 2 times as many severe events, including catastrophic flooding and extreme droughts, when compared to the average in the 2003 – 2020 range. Also, they are lasting longer and affecting larger areas, the levels hitting twice compared to last years average.
Scientists have been shocked by the speed because one would expect the speed of change to be linear to the changes in global temperatures, but this change exceeded their expectations, too.
Dr. Bailing Li, a researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center said, while the data is not peer-reviewed and a longer timeframe is needed for definitive trend confirmation, the relationship to global warming is significant. “We can’t prove causation yet—we would need a much longer dataset,” said Dr. Li. “But the increase in extreme events is indicative of global warming as a cause.”
Her colleague, Dr. Matthew Rodell, also had serious concerns about the trend calling it “certainly scary” warning that society’s ability to respond and adapt may be overtaken by the speed of the change.
Climate Change as the Leading Factor
The findings corroborate the wider established consensus in climate science, which has long warned us that the increase in greenhouse gas emissions due to humanity’s burning of fossil fuels continues to increase global temperatures while disrupting the planet’s water cycle.
More moisture is held by a warming atmosphere, leading to more and heavier rains and greater flooding, while increasing temperatures create greater rates of evaporation, increasing both droughts and heatwaves.
The end result is a phenomenon called “hydroclimatic whiplash,” where regions can shift dramatically from one extreme to the other, increasing risks for ecosystems, agriculture, and human settlements.
Consequences for society and the environment
The implications of this rise in extreme weather phenomena are broad reaching. Communities around the world are now contending with an abundance or scarcity of water. Water companies and agricultural systems are adapting but face unprecedented challenges. These effects bring financial costs, including a rise in the number of billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. in recent history.
Insurers are now reporting record losses, and governments are being asked to invest more in climate-resilient infrastructure and disaster preparedness.
The impacts could be even worse for more vulnerable groups. The intensification of extreme weather events is compounded by existing health disparities and social vulnerability, resulting in extended and overlapping durations of disasters.
It has never been more urgent to establish comprehensive adaptation programs that include better water management practices, sustainable agriculture, and functioning emergency response systems.
A Call to Action
NASA has indicated that in the past five years extreme weather events have doubled in number, which made it crystal clear: the time to act is now. The data highlights the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to climate change through immediate and long-term actions.
Addressing climate change, while simultaneously making future climate adaptations, will require international collaboration, policy changes, and the investment of resilient infrastructure to protect our communities, economies, and ecosystems from an increasingly unstable climate.
NASA’s recent findings remind us of the far-reaching impacts of our actions on the planet. The doubling of weather compounded with extreme weather events within just the past five years, isn’t just a call to action to humanity; it is a wake-up call for humanity to act boldly and decisively to secure a planet that is sustainable for future generations.