How does climate change affect extreme heat?
With climate change, extreme heat events are on the rise. More areas will likely be affected by extreme heat more often, more severely, and for longer periods of time. An increase in hot sum- mer nights means less “cooling off” occurs at night.
How does a warmer climate lead to more intense rains?
Warmer oceans increase the amount of water that evaporates into the air. When more moisture-laden air moves over land or converges into a storm system, it can produce more intense precipitation—for example, heavier rain and snow storms.
Does climate change cause a lot of rain?
Warmer air can hold more water vapor. For each degree of warming, the air’s capacity for water vapor goes up by about 7 percent. An atmosphere with more moisture can produce more intense precipitation events, which is exactly what has been observed.
What are the worst consequences of climate change?
More frequent and intense drought, storms, heat waves, rising sea levels, melting glaciers and warming oceans can directly harm animals, destroy the places they live, and wreak havoc on people’s livelihoods and communities. As climate change worsens, dangerous weather events are becoming more frequent or severe.
What causes extreme heat weather?
A heatwave occurs when a system of high atmospheric pressure moves into an area and lasts two or more days. In such a high-pressure system, air from upper levels of our atmosphere is pulled toward the ground, where it becomes compressed and increases in temperature.
How does climate change cause heat waves?
Heat waves occur naturally in the summer, but climate change is exacerbating these events because emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases are causing average temperatures to increase.
Does climate change decrease rainfall?
Just as precipitation patterns vary across the world, however, so do the precipitation effects of climate change. By shifting the wind patterns and ocean currents that drive the world’s climate system, climate change will also cause some areas to experience decreased precipitation.
What causes heavy rain storms?
More heavy rain is one of the hallmark signs of climate change. As the atmosphere warms, more water evaporates from soils, plants, lakes, and oceans. So when this additional water vapor condenses into precipitation, it leads to heavier rain — or when cold enough, heavier snow.
What is the major cause for climate change?
Human activity is the main cause of climate change. People burn fossil fuels and convert land from forests to agriculture. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, people have burned more and more fossil fuels and changed vast areas of land from forests to farmland.
Who is affected by extreme heat?
These serious health consequences usually affect more vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and those with existing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Socioeconomic factors, such as economically disadvantaged and socially isolated individuals, are also at risk from heat-related burdens.