Weather and Climate Extremes in a Changing Climate.
Regions of Focus: North America, Hawaii, Caribbean, and U.S. Pacific Islands.
The U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research today released a scientific assessment ("Weather and Climate Extremes in a Changing Climate")
that provides the first comprehensive analysis of observed and
projected changes in weather and climate extremes in North America and
U.S. territories.
Among the findings reported in this assessment are that
droughts, heavy downpours, excessive heat, and intense hurricanes are
likely to become more commonplace as humans continue to increase the
atmospheric concentrations of heat-trapping greenhouse gases.
Global warming of the past 50 years is due primarily to human-induced
increases in heat-trapping gases, according to the report. Many types
of extreme weather and climate event changes have been observed during
this time period and continued changes are projected for this century.
Specific future projections include:
- Abnormally hot days and nights, along with heat waves, are very
likely to become more common. Cold nights are very likely to become
less common.
- Sea ice extent is expected to continue to decrease and may even disappear in the Arctic Ocean in summer in coming decades.
- Precipitation, on average, is likely to be less frequent but more intense.
- Droughts are likely to become more frequent and severe in some regions.
- Hurricanes will likely have increased precipitation and wind.
- The strongest cold-season storms in the Atlantic and
Pacific are likely to produce stronger winds and higher extreme wave
heights.
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