Global warming will spawn severe storms and tornados, reports NASA
We have known for a while that global warming is making our weather more extreme, especially extreme heat, drought, heavy rainfall, and flooding. Now we have more predictions:
Perhaps that is why we have been setting records for tornados lately. This is especially bad news for this country because, as the study notes: “The central/east U.S. experiences the most severe thunderstorms and tornadoes on Earth.”
The full study, “Will moist convection be stronger in a warmer climate?” was published in Geophysical Research Letters (subs. req’d) earlier this month. The research has mixed implications for wildfires:
For the western United States, drying in the warmer climate reduces the frequency of lightning-producing storms that initiate forest fires, but the strongest storms occur 26% more often.
What does this mean?
“These findings may seem to imply that fewer storms in the future will be good news for disastrous western U.S. wildfires,” said Tony Del Genio, lead author of the study and a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York. “But drier conditions near the ground combined with higher lightning flash rates per storm may end up intensifying wildfire damage instead.”
The bottom line: The weather is getting more extreme, human-caused global warming is the main reason, and if we don’t act soon to reduce emissions, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
UPDATE: NASA has posted the entire extreme weather study here.
August 31st, 2007 at 12:14 pm
I’ve got to dig Heavy Weather out of the garage.
http://www.amazon.com/ Heavy-Weather-Bruce-Sterling/ dp/ 055357292X
August 31st, 2007 at 12:46 pm
2004 was indeed the record year for US tornadoes. I note in the linked article: The higher numbers do not necessarily mean more tornadoes are occurring than in the past. Better reporting systems contribute to the record, said Mike Smith, founder and chief executive of WeatherData, a private forecasting service based in Wichita. “If we had had the radars, the spotters and the warning systems in the 1950s, there are a couple of years — like ‘57 or ‘55 –that it wouldn’t surprise me if they had more tornadoes than we have now,” Smith said. “But with the revolution in tornado science and detection that started in the early 1970s, it’s easier to set a record now.”
This NOAA chart shows that numbers for the years since 2004 are significantly - more than 25% - lower.
August 31st, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Joe,
Your Climate Progress website is now linked to Online Resources at The Devil’s Chaplain http://devilschaplain2010.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Joe, and keep up the good work. My kids & grandkids are counting on clear-headed, outspoken people like you. –IANVS
August 31st, 2007 at 5:48 pm
throw out all data prior to the year 2000 . first six months this year 900 tornadoes compared to 600 last year its because the change in the jet stream flows coming down from montana the drought would change these flows just look at the water levels in the rivers (lower) to back that up fish are dying and the earth is parched
its like el nino plus la nina on a gobal scale at the same time china 399 people struck by lightning up to august
then in itlay the lava directional flows have changed so it is flowing down the other side of the mt then 3–4 weeks continuious flowing earlier this year to add to that some regions have to raise their vineyards off the ground by 2 metres due to an increase in low level lying frost build up al this is CAUSE AND EFECT AND WE ARE FAILING TO PUT THE DOTS TOGETHER
August 31st, 2007 at 7:19 pm
The commenters focused on the number of storms/tornadoes, but the study also addressed intensity. And the last few years has seen some of the largest and most intense tornadoes ever.
August 31st, 2007 at 8:22 pm
John,
According to the NOAA website recent years have been below average in the number of intense tornadoes. The relevant chart is here. You have to scroll down a bit to see it. I’m looking for info on microbursts like the one that recently caused so much damage in Chicago. Don’t know if there is enough reliable data to see if there is an increase in these intense storms which would play into Joe’s warnings about extreme weather and global warming.
September 1st, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Even if we have less tornados they are getting stronger. Its from the warming which rises and makes stronger dangerous weather incidents. This will keep happing until we can reduce the carbon dioxide pollution of our air. I read China is building too many new power plants where they burn coal to make power and makes too many carbon dioxide too What can we do to make global warming better if china has all these factories? I am so worried I wish Al Gore was presdient instead of Goerge Bush. And he got us into this war, think of all the carbon doxide from all the tanks and bombs!!
September 3rd, 2007 at 7:21 am
George Bush started the War on Global Warming?
September 27th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
WE HAVE THE SOLUTION ON OUR HANDS TO STOP THE GLOBAL WARMING DONT CONTAMINATED OUR PLANET WITH INDUSTRIAL GAS
DOCTOR I HOPE IS NOT TOO LATE TO STOP THE HUMAN STUPIDITY.
April 5th, 2008 at 12:39 am
i believe leave information of the tornado like is it a f0, f1, f2, f3, f4, and f5 things like that can draw someones eye to there attention
April 29th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
That must of been the worst tornado YET!!!!!
April 29th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
That must of been the worst tornado YET!!!!! I feel bad for all the people that lost there homes!