WINTER DROUGHT IN THE MEDITERRANEAN: WHAT DO WE KNOW?

Since October 2021 and until mid march 2022, a severe drought has gripped the Western Mediterranean area, putting harvests from rain-fed crops potentially at risk. Winter is a crucial season for water resources in this region. What is the current state of our knowledge?

CYCLONES AND CLIMATE CHANGE: WHAT DO WE KNOW? THE CASE OF CYCLONE BATSIRAI

Tropical Cyclone Batsirai has left Madagascar after killing dozens, displacing tens of thousands and devastating the island’s agriculture, already suffering from drought hard hitting a vulnerable population, Unicef said, adding that many of the victims are probably children, who make up more than 50% of Madagascar’s population. Batsirai hit eastern Madagascar with a Category 3 strength on the evening of Saturday 5 february 2022, bringing heavy rains and winds of 165 km/h. The city of Mananjary in the east of the country “has been completely destroyed”, one of its residents said.

TORNADOES AND CLIMATE CHANGE: WHAT WE KNOW

Devastating tornadoes in central U.S.A. took place on 10 and 11 December 2021, with widespread destruction of homes, infrastructures, and large parts of some midwest cities. Over a hundred people lost their lives and many more were injured. Given that we already live in a world of 1.2°C global warming, such extreme events immediately raise the question whether and to what extent climate change altered the likelihood and intensity of these devastating storms. Here we briefly summarize the current scientific knowledge on such links.

Xaida, presentation

Xaida, Presentation Fifteen European research institutes are joining forces with climate risk practitioners to better assess and predict the influence of climate change on extreme weather using novel artificial intelligence methods. This new EU-funded 4-year project, called “XAIDA”, will start in September 2021. Climate is changing fast, with losses and damages experienced in every region […]