What are extreme meteorological events?

For decades we have been witnessing an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme meteorological events. For example, the unusual drought that is affecting all of Europe and especially Spain. We will now go into detail and define these meteorological events, how they originate and what their consequences may be.

Extreme meteorological events: What do they consist of?

When we talk about extreme meteorological events we are referring to weather-related events that rarely occur. These can be unexpected, unusual, severe or unseasonal meteorological conditions, they fall outside the patterns for weather forecasts that are based on the historical records of a particular place.

For example, in Siberia it is perfectly usual for it to be quite cold in all the seasons. If there is a heat wave in this region, with temperatures much higher than usual, we would call this an extreme meteorological event.

In recent times, we have been seeing in the news and in expert reports that these types of events are multiplying. But why is this?

Why do extreme meteorological events occur?

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been studying climate change on our planet since 1988. They have mostly reached very clear conclusions and these mostly indicate human activity. The latest report published in March 2023 includes the following: "Human activity, mainly as a result of greenhouse gas emissions, is the unequivocal cause of global warming" to the point that, in the last 9 years (between 2011 and 2020) the temperature has risen 1.1ºC compared to the maximum temperatures for previous periods.

And this is not only seen in the average temperature, but we have witnessed widespread, rapid changes in the atmosphere, the ocean, the cryosphere and the biosphere. Climate change related to human activity is the underlying cause of many extreme meteorological and climate events all around the world. So the damage has actually already been done and it can be seen in the overall impact on nature and on our daily lives.

Extreme meteorological events and global warming

It is not that there have not been extreme events throughout history, including eruptions, sudden rises and falls of temperature, etc. but to this possibility of sudden changes we should now add the effects of Climate Change (caused by human activity, particularly by the emission of greenhouse gases as a result of the consumption of fossil fuels). So global warming causes extreme meteorological events to become more frequent and virulent, as the IPCC explained.

The graphs show there has been an increase not only in heat waves but especially in the number of warm nights since 1950. The following events have also been recorded more frequently: Droughts, low average rainfall and the high capacity for water to evaporate due to rising temperatures.

But the events that are affecting us most intensely are extreme meteorological events. Records show that rainfall is more and more concentrated in quantity, time and intensity which results in more frequent flooding. The IPCC has also observed an increase in the frequency of tropical storms and hurricanes, as well as their intensity and duration since 1970.

Scientists have studied whether these events can be linked to Climate Change and they have concluded that if it were not for the increase in temperatures caused by Climate Change, we would not be suffering from these recurrent heat waves, together with other extreme events caused by them.

Nevertheless, it is not too late and there is time to mitigate the consequences of Climate Change, providing we adjust our lifestyle to minimise the impact on the planet.

For example, by contracting a tariff that offers you 100% renewable, sustainable and green energy.

Consequences of extreme meteorological events

There is a long list of consequences linked to the increase in the frequency and intensity of these meteorological events. Here are just a few that we are unfortunately already suffering in Spain:

• Deterioration of ecosystems.
• The deterioration of the health of the people most exposed to pollutants and heat.
• The difficulty of access to drinking water and the cutting off of supplies.
• The deterioration of crops and decreased agricultural production.
• Increasingly frequent and aggressive forest fires, etc.

Extreme meteorological events: Types and examples

Cold- and heat-waves

Changes in the usual weather patterns cause unusual events that lead to waves of extreme temperatures. We have already seen that heat waves are becoming more frequent, but we also have to take cold waves into account, such as the Filomena storm, which seriously affected the Iberian Peninsula in 2021.

Cyclones

The increase in temperature in tropical seas has brought about an increase in the formation of cyclones since 1970, making them more frequent and intense.

Droughts

Regions are being affected by droughts where this has never before been a problem, and they are becoming more acute in regions where they already occurred. By their very nature, these events are easy to measure and document, so they can be studied to see how we can mitigate their effects.

Floods

Torrential rainfalls that register large volumes of water in a short space of time lead to flooding, rivers overflowing and the resulting significant damage and risks to the people living in the affected areas.