Heavy Weather

Since the United Nations climate summit in Paris two years ago, scientists have published at least 41 studies concluding that climate change has increased the risk of extreme weather events around the world.

The events analysed in these studies encompass episodes of extreme heat, drought, flooding and wildfire outbreaks, and concern every continent except Antarctica. They include heatwaves in Europe, China and Japan; droughts in Syria and Tibet; elevated wildfire risk in the US and Canada; and Storm Desmond, which hit Cumbria and other parts of the UK, coincidentally, during the Paris summit. The studies span 32 individual events for which the risks have increased due to climate change, with other studies focusing on the long-term trend for increasing risks.

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