WMO: Extreme Weather And Climate Change Disproportionately Affect Asia

The United Nations Weather Office reported that Asia was the region most hit by climate change, weather, and water-related dangers last year.

According to the report issued on Tuesday by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), floods and storms were the leading cause of deaths and economic damage in 2023, while heatwaves became more severe.

It discovered that Asia is rising faster than the world norm, with temperature rises in 2023 averaging over 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1961-90 average.

In a statement, WMO chief Celeste Saulo stated, “Many countries in the region experienced their hottest year on record in 2023, along with a barrage of extreme conditions, from droughts and heatwaves to floods and storms”.

Saulo went on to say that climate change exacerbated the frequency and severity of such events, calling the report’s conclusions sobering.

As per the agency, 79 disasters involving water-related weather hazards occurred throughout Asia last year. Floods and storms accounted for around 80% of these, killing over 2,000 deaths and affecting nine million others.

The State of the Climate in Asia 2023 report also indicated that floods were the greatest cause of death in documented disasters in 2023 by a substantial margin.

Hong Kong received 158.1mm (6.2 inches) of rain in one hour on September 7, the most since records began in 1884, as a result of a typhoon.

The survey also highlighted that most glaciers in Asia’s high mountains have lost considerable mass as a result of record-breaking high temperatures and drought conditions.

In 2023, precipitation was below normal in the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush mountain ranges in Pakistan and Afghanistan, while southwest China experienced levels below normal in nearly every month of the year.

The research claimed that very high average temperatures were observed from western Siberia to Central Asia, as well as from eastern China to Japan, with Japan experiencing its hottest summer on record.

The report comes as several Asian countries have experienced catastrophic flooding in recent weeks.

More than 100,000 people were evacuated in southern China on Tuesday as a result of torrential rain and flooding, which killed at least four.

Meanwhile, authorities in Afghanistan and Pakistan declared a state of emergency in several areas last week following severe rains and flash floods that killed at least 100 people.

The WMO stated that national weather services across Asia must urgently improve tailored information to officials working to reduce disaster risks.

“It is imperative that our actions and strategies mirror the urgency of these times”, Saulo remarked.

“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the evolving climate is not merely an option, but a fundamental necessity”, Saulo added.

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