Climate change - Extreme weather year: of masses of water and hurricanes
In the search for a word for 2023, "extreme weather" comes to mind. At the end of the year, the past months seem to blur into an ominous mixture of floods, forest fires and storms - one extreme followed the next.
2023 was the warmest year in Germany since records began in 1881 - the German Weather Service (DWD) was certain of this shortly before the end of the calendar year. The average temperature is expected to be 10.6 degrees, a spokesperson told the German Press Agency.
According to the EU climate change service Copernicus, 2023 will also be the warmest year globally since records began in the mid-19th century. The EU environment agency EEA had already warned in spring: "Due to our changing climate, the weather in Europe is becoming more extreme." Even beyond Europe, 2023 was a year of extreme weather. A review in excerpts:
January
Flooded towns and meters of snow on the west coast, hurricanes in the south-east: numerous people die in the USA due to severe winter storms. In California, trees are snapping and there are flash floods. The persistent rainfall turns small streams into raging rivers. At the same time, tornadoes wreak havoc, particularly in the south-eastern state of Alabama.
February
Tropical storm "Gabrielle" hits New Zealand with hurricane-force winds and heavy rain. Houses, roads and bridges are destroyed and power and communication lines are damaged. The government declares a national state of emergency - for only the third time in the country's history. At times, the water is so high in some areas that only the roofs of the houses are still sticking out of the floodwaters.
March
Record temperatures and full beaches: According to the calendar, winter is not yet over - but in parts of Spain, the air conditioning is already running at night. Water is running out in many places. People are groaning under temperatures of over 30 degrees in some places. Mallorca has its first tropical night of the year, so the thermometer doesn't drop below 20 degrees.
April
At the beginning of the month, several tornadoes hit parts of the USA. There are deaths and injuries. According to US media reports, around 50 hurricanes that can be classified as tornadoes are counted in seven states. There is talk of a rare "monster storm system" stretching from the south of the USA to the Great Lakes region in the north.
May
Dozens of forest fires drive thousands of people to flee their homes in western Canada. The province of Alberta declares a state of emergency. It is an "unprecedented crisis", says the province's Premier, Danielle Smith. In view of the severe drought, the flames are spreading rapidly. As a result of global warming, the risk of forest fires is increasing in many regions, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated.
Cyclone Mocha causes severe devastation in parts of Myanmar and Bangladesh. The tropical cyclone hits land on the west coast of the two neighboring countries with wind speeds of more than 250 kilometers per hour in some places. It is the most violent cyclone to hit the region for more than a decade. There is also heavy flooding due to heavy rain and storm surges.
While it was still very dry in Italy in winter and early spring, there is now heavy rainfall. The Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna and Le Marche are experiencing some dramatic flooding. The area on the Adriatic coast is hit by severe storms. The fire department rescues people trapped in their homes by the water and drivers stranded in the masses of water. There are fatalities.
June
Flames blaze in the forest near Jüterbog in Brandenburg, clouds of smoke rise. The situation on the former military training area worsens. The ammunition load is high, strong winds make the situation more difficult for the emergency services. Fires also break out in quick succession on two former military training areas in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: near Lübtheen and in the Viezer Heide near Hagenow. Both areas are contaminated with munitions.
July
Capitals such as Rome and Athens glow, in Croatia there is the first major forest and bush fire of the year: the south and south-east of Europe heat up. In many places, the thermometers show more than 40 degrees. In Greece, large parts of the economy have restricted their activities.
For thousands of tourists on Rhodes, the forest fires are turning their vacation into a nightmare. The emergency services initially have the flames under control, but then the strong wind turns and drives the fire directly towards tourist strongholds and villages in the south and south-east of the island. People are brought to safety. Video footage shows tourists leaving their resorts on foot.
Several people die in fires on Sicily. The situation is particularly critical in the north of the Italian Mediterranean island. Emergency services are battling forest and wildfires.
A warmer climate may contribute to more water falling from the sky, more frequently in the form of heavy rain. However, according to climate experts, periods without precipitation are becoming longer in some cases. And the risk of droughts is increasing, especially in areas that are already dry. Forest fires can spread more quickly in extremely dry vegetation.
August
A low-pressure system over Italy causes heavy rainfall in Austria and neighboring Slovenia. Towns are flooded, traffic arteries are cut, floods and landslides cause enormous damage. The heavy rainfall leads to mudslides and flooding in southern Austria. A civil protection alert is issued in parts of Styria and Carinthia.
Flame inferno in the vacation paradise of Hawaii: thick smoke hangs over the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific, a coastal strip of Maui is in flames, parts of the usually lush green island are charred black due to devastating bush and forest fires. More than 100 people have died. Hawaii's Governor Josh Green speaks of a "terrible catastrophe".
The Pacific tropical storm "Hilary" brings torrential rain to the southwest of the USA. The US state of California, with its metropolitan areas of San Diego and Los Angeles, was hit particularly hard. The storm, which was rare for the region, flooded roads and toppled trees and power lines.
In Canada, fierce forest fires are moving relentlessly towards two cities. In the West Kelowna area, the flames destroy buildings and the city of Yellowknife in the Arctic Circle is almost completely evacuated. The government of British Columbia on the Pacific coast declares a state of emergency for the entire province. "This year we are experiencing the worst wildfire season ever in British Columbia," it says.
Large parts of Greece are covered in acrid clouds of smoke due to huge forest fires. The fires are also raging near the capital Athens. The air quality in large parts of the country deteriorates massively due to the fires.
September
Where there had recently been fires, streams now turn into raging rivers: The masses of water that storm "Daniel" pours over central Greece exceed all predictions. Cars are being swept away by the floods, people have to be rescued from their homes in rubber dinghies, for example in the port city of Volos, where the water is sometimes waist-high.
Record rainfall and flooding in Hong Kong leaves people dead and injured. The government of the Chinese Special Administrative Region speaks of "extreme conditions". Roads become rivers, subway stations run full of water. Hong Kong comes to a virtual standstill after the heaviest rainfall since 1884.
A severe storm wreaks havoc in the civil war country of Libya. Thousands are killed. Storm "Daniel", which has already ravaged Greece, also hits the North African country. The port city of Darna is particularly badly affected. According to eyewitness reports, the strong winds toppled electricity pylons. In the middle of the night, a dam bursts with a loud bang. A second dam also gives way to the masses of water.
Exceptionally heavy rain partially paralyzes the US East Coast metropolis of New York. Highways and streets are transformed into lake-like landscapes, and an airport terminal is also flooded and closed. Governor Kathy Hochul declares a state of emergency.
October
The Pacific storm "Otis" hits Mexico's southwest coast with full force as a level 5 hurricane near the famous beach resort of Acapulco. Within just around twelve hours, the tropical storm develops into an extremely dangerous hurricane. There are numerous fatalities. "According to the records, rarely has a hurricane developed so quickly and with such force," says President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. According to experts, the rapid intensification of the hurricanes is due to climate change.
November
Even before the start of summer in the southern hemisphere, large parts of Brazil are suffering from a severe heatwave. In Rio de Janeiro, a metropolis of millions, the perceived temperature rises to 59.7 degrees in one day. The temperatures in Brazil feel much more uncomfortable than in Germany due to the high humidity. In fact, the thermometer read over 40 degrees.
December
At the beginning of the month, parts of Germany are covered in snow, especially Bavaria. State Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter (CSU) says: "What we experienced in Munich at the weekend was not a normal onset of winter, but the largest amount of snow in Munich since weather records began. It was an extremely special situation in a very short space of time."
Around Christmas, it is warmer again - but in view of persistent rainfall and saturated soils, there is a tense flood situation in many regions of Germany with swelling watercourses and overflowing reservoirs. Hundreds of people have to leave their homes over the Christmas holidays, for example in Rinteln in Lower Saxony and Windehausen in Thuringia. Potsdam climate researcher Stefan Rahmstorf writes on X on Christmas Eve: "Extreme precipitation is increasing worldwide and also in our country due to #global warming. Climate researchers have been warning about this for over 30 years; the data from weather stations has long since confirmed this."
Read also:
- Snow chaos further restricts Bavaria
- "Zoltan" sweeps across the country - disruptions to rail traffic
- "Zoltan" brings masses of water, rail chaos and suspected tornadoes
- Lifestyle 2023 from "Breathless" to cinnamon buns
Source: www.stern.de
