Hasan Jedi/Getty Images – The nearly two million people displaced by conflict in Gaza faced additional challenges due to successive heatwaves. Climate change brought record-breaking heat in 2024, leading to extreme weather events like hurricanes and month-long droughts. This year is projected to be the hottest on record, with research indicating that people globally experienced an extra 41 days of dangerous heat due to climate change. The World Weather Attribution (WWA) group at Imperial College and Climate Central warned that we are entering a perilous new era. From Brazil to Indonesia, billions of people were impacted by climate events in 2024.
In a year dominated by heat, temperature records were shattered on both land and sea. A prolonged heatwave affected countries from Lebanon to Cambodia, posing risks of dehydration and heat stroke. Vulnerable populations, such as the young and elderly with pre-existing health conditions, were particularly at risk. Conflict-affected areas suffered disproportionately due to housing conditions like temporary shelters that exacerbated heat exposure. Despite populations adapting to higher temperatures over time, the world experienced 41 additional days of dangerous heat in 2024 compared to a world without climate change.
The Amazon region faced a severe heatwave exacerbated by the El Niño phenomenon, with reduced rainfall affecting South America. The Amazon river’s water levels plummeted by 90%, leading to power shortages, crop failures, and wildfires. Nearly half a million children were impacted as schools closed due to water shortages in Brazil and Colombia. The Amazon river’s crucial role in supporting biodiversity and climate change efforts was at risk due to climate change-induced drying.
The Philippines saw an unprecedented typhoon season, with a record-breaking six storms in just 30 days following six months of storms. The region’s vulnerability to tropical storms was exacerbated by warm ocean waters. Landslides and floods caused by the typhoons killed over 1,200 people in Southeast Asia. While there is no direct evidence linking climate change to the frequency of typhoons, research suggests that it may intensify their impact. The record ocean temperatures in 2024 were conducive to storm formation, enhanced by climate change.
Even wealthy nations like the US were not immune to extreme weather events in 2024. Two consecutive hurricanes, Helene and Milton, caused over 260 fatalities and $115 billion in damages. Elevated ocean temperatures in the Atlantic fueled these hurricanes, contributing to an extraordinary season. Despite warnings from scientists about the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, the world continues to grapple with the devastating impacts of climate change. Hasan Jedi/Getty Images
El Dr. Otto le dijo a la BBC que típicamente las grandes tormentas pueden quitarle calor al océano impidiendo la formación de nuevos huracanes por algún tiempo, pero la evidencia cualitativa sugiere “que debido a que todo el océano superior estaba extremadamente caliente, este efecto no ocurrió.”
Agregó que la WWA planea realizar un análisis más detallado sobre esto en el futuro.
Chandan Khanna/AFP
Los daños a miles de hogares en Florida por el huracán Helene se revelaron después de que las aguas de inundación retrocedieron.
Lluvias extremas en Nigeria, Chad, Sudán
Las inundaciones en Sudán y Nigeria en agosto y septiembre mostraron que el clima extremo puede ser exacerbado por una infraestructura mal mantenida.
Las intensas lluvias que comenzaron en julio provocaron inundaciones extensas que llevaron al colapso de varias presas, matando a decenas de personas y obligando a miles a abandonar sus hogares.
AFP
Los edificios de ladrillos de barro pueden ser resistentes a las inundaciones, pero semanas de lluvia en el Estado del Norte de Sudán en julio y agosto dañaron muchas viviendas
El informe de WWA y Climate Central estima que estos episodios de fuertes lluvias se han vuelto eventos comunes debido al calentamiento causado por el ser humano, y se espera que ocurran en promedio cada tres a diez años.
Julie Arrighi del Centro Climático de la Cruz Roja y de la Media Luna Roja, dijo: “Nuestros estudios continúan mostrando la necesidad de mejorar la preparación para el clima extremo para reducir la pérdida de vidas y daños.
“No estamos bien preparados para la vida con 1.3-1.5°C de calentamiento.”