A series of unprecedented weather and climate events has hit several continents in recent weeks, killing hundreds of people and displacing many others.
The relentless heat in Southeast Asia, flooding in southern Brazil and Texas, and other events forecast an intense summer and align with scientific expectations of a warmer climate.
The extremes occurring this spring in the northern hemisphere / autumn in the southern hemisphere are happening at a time when the world is seeing average global temperatures rise by about 1.2°C (2.16°F) compared to pre-industrial levels.
Most climate models and researchers project that warming will exceed 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
Several countries have set national records for monthly temperatures in May.
The global climatology is being rewritten with this brutal heatwave that shows no end in sight,” said record tracker Maximiliano Herrera on X.
Thailand, China, Myanmar, Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Pakistan, India, and Mexico have been under intense heat since March or April.
The U.S. has not been immune either. La Puerta, Texas, reached the state record for the hottest temperature in May, with a high of 116°F on May 9. This was one of the hottest temperatures recorded in the country early in the season.
Heatwaves are the type of weather phenomenon that scientists most confidently attribute to climate change; as average global temperatures rise, the likelihood of extreme heat increases dramatically.
In addition to heat, climate change is also affecting precipitation, with heavy rains becoming more frequent and severe.
Parts of the Houston metropolitan area received nearly 60 centimeters of rain in just a few days in early May, causing river flooding.
The situation has been much worse in southern Brazil, where tens of thousands of people have been displaced and dozens have died in flooding resulting from days of torrential rain across the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, home to about 4 million people, saw its international airport submerged under floodwaters, along with vast areas of homes and businesses after two months of rain fell in just a few days.
Computational model projections for the Northern Hemisphere show widespread warmer-than-average conditions this summer, with some exceptions.
One of the biggest concerns for the summer, besides heatwaves, is an extremely active Atlantic hurricane season, which may be on par with the busiest seasons ever recorded.
Source: Axios