Extreme weather events are occurring with greater frequency and intensity

Extreme Weather

Arctic News,

29 June, 2019

Extreme weather events are occurring with greater frequency and intensity. We are also seeing more wild weather swings, in which heatwaves can be followed up by cold snaps, and droughts can be followed up by flooding, and visa versa.

How does global warming cause such wild weather swings? Moisture is important here. Global warming result in warmer sea surfaces, in stronger winds and in more water vapor in the atmosphere (10.5 % more water vapor at 1.5° C warming).

More moisture gets into the air as there is stronger evaporation from oceans, vegetation and soils. Stronger evaporation means that soils dry out faster - even after stronger rainstorms, soils will quickly dry out, resulting in soils that are overall more dry than they used to be. Soils that are more dry are also more prone to fires.

Also important is that, as the Arctic warms faster than the rest of the world, the jet stream is changing.

For more, see the posts below:

• Global Warming is destroying our Liveable Climate
https://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2019/02/global-warming-is-destroying-our-liveable-climate.html

• It could be unbearably hot in many places within a few years time
http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2016/07/it-could-be-unbearably-hot-in-many-places-within-a-few-years-time.html

• Polar jet stream appears hugely deformed
http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2012/12/polar-jet-stream-appears-hugely-deformed.html

• How frigid polar vortex blasts are connected to global warming
by Jennifer Francis
http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2019/02/how-frigid-polar-vortex-blasts-are-connected-to-global-warming.html

• Is warming in the Arctic behind this year's crazy winter weather?
by Jennifer Francis

http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2018/02/is-warming-in-arctic-behind-this-years-crazy-winter-weather.html

• The Arctic is Changing the Jet Stream - Why This Is Important
by Sam Carana, with contributions by Jennifer Francis
http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-arctic-is-changing-the-jet-stream-why-this-is-important.html

• Arctic Ocean Feedbacks
http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2017/01/arctic-ocean-feedbacks.html

• Wild Weather Swings
http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2014/10/wild-weather-swings.html

• Forces behind Superstorm Sandy
http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/2012/11/forces-behind-superstorm-sandy.html