19h ago
12.43 GMT
Storm Ciarán a 'bomb cyclone', scientists say
Damian
Carrington
Storm Ciarán, still wreaking havoc across Europe, is a
“bomb cyclone”, scientists have explained. These are unusual storms, where
explosive intensification leads to very strong winds.
Colin
Manning and Hayley Fowler, at Newcastle University in the UK, said Storm Ciarán
was also unusual among North Atlantic storms in producing both heavy rain and
high winds over large areas. Such storms are likely to become more frequent due
to the climate crisis, they warned.
“Ciarán is
the UK’s third named storm in a winter storm season that is shaping up to be
exceptionally turbulent,” they said. “The succession of storms since August
2023 has been driven by an unusually strong jet stream that has shifted further
south than is typical for this time of year.
“A stronger
jet stream can make storms more powerful, and a more southerly position means
that storms are warmer and carry more moisture and energy, making rapid
intensification more likely,” they said.
“Recent
storms show that society has not adapted to worsening climate conditions.
Alongside drastically cutting emissions, countries must build more resilient
infrastructure to adapt to a more turbulent climate. This will be costly, but
far less costly than doing nothing.”
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário