Climate change makes Typhoon Mawar more dangerous

Guam was hit by the worst typhoon in decades. Typhoon Mawar moved very across U.S. territory in Guam and strong gusts had seriously harmed property. Primary reasons for storms like Mawar are more likely as a result of climate change. The extra heat that the ocean absorbs as a result of the greenhouse gasses produced by the various devices that humans use fuels the development of larger and more powerful storms. Mawar quickly grew stronger as it approached the coast, going from a Category 1 storm to a Category 4 storm in just one day. Storms that intensify quickly are growing more frequent and pose a bigger threat because there is less time to warn those in their path. Moreover, from the past including the Hurricanes land in Florida and Ida in Louisiana, both of which intensified quickly before hitting land.

Researchers are examining the relationship between global cyclone intensification and human-caused climate change. It is difficult to pinpoint the precise effects of climate change on particular storms and long-term trends because while warm ocean waters provide the energy for storms, wind conditions also affect how intense they become. Another factor contributing to hurricanes destructive power is ocean warming. Heat trapped near the Earth’s surface has increased as a result of greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from the combustion of fossil fuels. The ocean has absorbed around 90% of the surplus heat generated by these releases. Since 1901, the top layer of the ocean has warmed by around 1.5 degrees Celsius, resulting in warmer air and water that fuels storm growth and intensifies winds. Furthermore, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the influence of the climate crisis on hurricane power has been compared to adding fuel to fire. Moreover, according to research, when the Earth’s temperature rises, storms are more likely to intensify quickly. Hurricanes in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans demonstrate this tendency, based on the research conducted in 2019 and 2020.

As dangerous as Typhoon Mawar’s winds will be, water is also part of the most dangerous aspects of a typhoon. Storm surge has the potential to scour the earth, destroying buildings, vegetation, and anything else in its path. As Mawar’s outer bands lashed Guam on Wednesday local time, forecasters anticipated a storm surge of 6 to 10 feet, or even higher if the storm’s eye passes very close to land. This would result in potentially fatal flooding.

Climate change exacerbates both storm surge and inland floods. Storm surge is becoming more destructive as sea levels rise. The sea level around the coast is greater than it has been in the past, exacerbating storm surge damage. Because they are low-lying island territories, Guam and the Mariana Islands are particularly vulnerable to increasing sea levels. Therefore, a hotter earth also increases the likelihood of torrential rain, because a warmer atmosphere can contain more moisture so previous storms have dumped more rain as a result of climate change.

References

Hersher, R. (2023, May 24). Climate change makes typhoon mawar more dangerous. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/05/23/1177645863/climate-change-makes-super-typhoon-mawar-more-dangerous

Super Typhoon Mawar crosses over Guam, know why storms are becoming frequent. The Economic Times. (n.d.). https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/super-typhoon-mawar-crosses-over-guam-know-why-storms-are-becoming-frequent/articleshow/100476245.cms?from=mdr