Even Heavier Weather

Since the United Nations climate summit in Paris three years ago, scientists have published at least 102 papers investigating a link between weather and climate change. Of these, 73 found the fingerprints of climate change on extreme weather events. The figures suggest that the pace of investigation and the rate at which positive links are being uncovered are accelerating.

Our 2018 report shows that over the last year, scientists have published at least 43 research papers looking at links between climate change and extreme weather events, of which 32 found that climate change made the events more likely or more intense.

The events analysed in these studies encompass episodes of extreme heat and cold, drought, flooding, storms and wildfire outbreaks. The climate change signal in all these events are more positive than negative. They include heatwaves in Australia, China and Alaska; Drought in Africa and the US; and storm intensity in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.