Scientists say a record-smashing March heat wave in the U.S. Southwest shows climate change is already driving more dangerous weather extremes. World Weather Attribution said Friday that the heat would have been virtually impossible without human-caused warming. Experts say extremes now hit more often, in odd seasons, and in unusual places. NOAA data shows a much larger share of the country sees extreme conditions than decades ago. An analysis by The Associated Press finds the U.S. breaks far more heat records than in past decades. One former FEMA official said disasters now fall outside old planning models and noted insurers pulling back.
Early-career scientists in California are advocating for a $23 billion scientific research fund following federal funding cuts to research projects studying climate change, health and more. Last Monday, researchers presented their work to state lawmakers in Sacramento. State Sen. Scott Wiener has introduced legislation to place a bond measure for the fund on the November ballot. The proposed California Foundation for Science and Health Research would support ongoing studies impacted by federal cuts, including projects in agriculture along with earthquake and wildfire safety. A two-thirds majority of the legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom would have to approve the bill for the issue to appear on the ballot.
Top weather agencies warn that the world should get ready for several years of even more record-breaking heat that pushes the globe to more deadly, fiery and uncomfortable extremes. Wednesday's five-year forecast from the World Meteorological Organization and the U.K. Meteorological Office says there's an 80% chance the world will break another annual temperature record in the next five years and it's even more probable that the world will again exceed the international temperature threshold set 10 years ago. Scientists say that means more heat deaths, wildfires, nastier hurricanes, downpours and droughts.
Scientists say human-caused climate change added an average of 41 days of dangerous heat worldwide in 2024. The analysis from World Weather Attribution and Climate Central comes after a year likely to be the world's hottest on record. The heat scorched everywhere from cities in North America to West Africa to the Acropolis in Greece and even South and Southeast Asian countries. Some areas saw 150 days or more of extreme heat due to climate change. The scientists also said that climate change worsened much of the world's damaging weather throughout the year.
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center reports there is a 60% chance that a weak La Nina will develop this autumn and could last until March. La Nina is part of a natural climate cycle that can cause extreme weather across the planet. Northern parts of South America could see more rain than usual. Southern regions of the U.S. and parts of Mexico could be drier than average. The northern tier of the U.S. and southern Canada could be wetter than average.
The U.N. weather agency is reporting that 2023 was the driest year in more than three decades for the world's rivers, as the record-hot year underpinned the drying up of water flows and contributed to prolonged droughts in many places. The World Meteorological Organization also says glaciers that feed rivers in many countries suffered the largest loss of mass in the last five decades. WMO warned that ice melt can threaten long-term water security for millions of people globally. Its secretary-general says water is the "canary in the coalmine" for climate change — a distress signal for a warming planet.
