Climate change has intensified Cyclone Chido, making it a category four storm. A study by Imperial College London indicates that such storms are now 40% more likely due to warmer climate conditions. The cyclone caused extensive damage in Mayotte, leading to fears of escalating casualties as it has been the most destructive storm in 90 years. Climate warming has contributed to increased wind speeds and the overall intensity of storms.
A recent preliminary study conducted by scientists at Imperial College London has revealed that climate change significantly intensified Cyclone Chido as it approached the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte. The assessment concluded that cyclones of Chido’s magnitude are now 40 percent more probable in the warmer climate of 2024, as compared to pre-industrial times. Cyclone Chido, classified as a category four storm, ultimately became the most destructive cyclone to impact Mayotte in nearly 90 years, devastating the region known for its high population living in vulnerable structures.
As Cyclone Chido made landfall on Saturday, it caused extensive destruction, particularly affecting the tin-roof shacks that accommodate a significant portion of Mayotte’s population. Although officials remain uncertain about the complete extent of the catastrophe, there are fears that the death toll could rise significantly, potentially reaching thousands. The assessment from Imperial College London delves into the role of global warming in enhancing the destructive wind speeds and intensity of tropical storms such as Cyclone Chido.
To address the lack of real-world data on storm behavior, researchers employed advanced computer modeling techniques to simulate millions of tropical cyclones, which enabled them to infer the impact of rising global temperatures. Their findings indicated that wind speeds in the region near where Chido landed had surged by 3 miles per second when compared to conditions prior to the onset of fossil fuel combustion.
The research posits that climate change elevated the intensity of Cyclone Chido from a Category 3 to a Category 4 storm. While France’s national weather service has not definitively connected Chido’s intensity to climate change, they acknowledge that increasing ocean temperatures, driven by anthropogenic climate alteration, have contributed to the escalation of storm violence. Meteo-France suggests that the cyclone’s devastating impact was primarily due to its trajectory over the island, rather than solely its intensity.
Overall, the climate has warmed by almost 1.3 degrees Celsius relative to pre-industrial levels, with scientists asserting that this additional heat in both the atmosphere and oceans fosters more frequent and severe weather phenomena. Furthermore, warmer air has an increased capacity to retain water vapor, which, in combination with warmer oceans leading to enhanced evaporation, creates more favorable conditions for the formation of destructive tropical storms.
The relationship between climate change and extreme weather events has garnered significant attention from the scientific community. Researchers are studying the extent to which global warming affects the intensity and frequency of tropical cyclones. Increased temperatures in the atmosphere and oceans are believed to contribute to the escalation of such storms, emphasizing the urgent need to address climate change to potentially mitigate future disasters.
Cyclone Chido exemplifies the increasing threat of climate change on tropical storm dynamics, with scientists establishing a clear link between elevated ocean temperatures and storm intensity. The findings of the Imperial College London study underscore the pressing nature of the climate crisis as it relates to severe weather events, projecting an ominous trajectory for similar storms in the future if global warming continues unabated. As communities like Mayotte face the immediate repercussions of such natural disasters, it serves as a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of climate health and human vulnerability.
Original Source: www.france24.com
