Some terms from the world of science and sustainability are not so easy to understand. But don’t worry – in our new series “Simply explained”, we break down complex topics and technical terms into understandable words. This makes science accessible, entertaining and exciting for you!
What is extreme weather?
Extreme weather or weather extremes are all weather conditions that occur rarely and are unusually intense and destructive.
Whether a weather event is extreme or not depends on the location and time of the weather phenomenon. If a weather event deviates greatly from the usual conditions in a region, it is described as extreme. However, to classify it correctly – whether it is really extreme or not – you need comprehensible data and a comparative period.
Classic, catastrophic examples are torrential rainfall, prolonged droughts, severe storms or tornadoes.
Extreme weather - a consequence of climate change?
One thing is clear: heatwaves, droughts, heavy rain, heavy snowfall, storms and hail have always existed globally. However, climate change and global warming have had a major impact on local weather, especially in recent decades.
As a result, heavy rain and snowfall, heatwaves, high temperatures, droughts and, consequently, forest fires are now much more common than they were a hundred years ago. In many parts of the world, extreme weather is becoming more severe, more frequent and more deadly. This is because overheating increases the general risk of cardiovascular collapse and heat stroke, for example.
By the way, all the research that deals with the connection between climate change and extreme weather events is called attribution research. If you’re curious and have discovered the science nerd in you, you can read more about the topic here!