Meteorologist Edward Graham explores the science behind extreme and destructive weather, its different manifestations, and whether there is evidence for an increase in the severity of floods, windstorms, heat waves, and other types of extreme weather.
Due to the non-linear nature of atmospheric behavior, linking such events directly with human influence on the climate is not easy. However, observational evidence of unprecedented weather extremes is now mounting from all over the globe. These are confirmed by atmospheric modeling studies that show such events are more destructive today than in a world without human interference.
By comparing these real and simulated scenarios, it is possible to assess how the frequency and intensity of an extreme weather event may have been influenced by human effect—and if such events are on the rise. Graham is an atmospheric scientist based at the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland.
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