- Title: How climate change is intensifying tropical cyclones like Typhoon Yagi
- Date: 12th September 2024
- Summary: THAI NGUYEN, VIETNAM (SEPTEMBER 11, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CARRYING CHILD ON THEIR BACKS THROUGH FLOODWATER WOMAN CARRYING DOG WADING IN FLOODWATER AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (SEPTEMBER 11, 2024) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) CLIMATE SCIENTIST, NADIA BLOEMENDALL, SAYING: "Typhoon Yagi was a very powerful typhoon that struck Vietnam over the weekend. I believe it was one of the most powerful typhoons to hit the region in the recent decades, so that is very noteworthy. What's also really interesting about Yagi is that it passed the Philippines, but it passed the Philippines as a tropical depression. It was relatively weak, but it rapidly intensified as it passed the Philippines and went on its way to Vietnam. That's extremely remarkable to see typhoons undergo such rapid intensification in that region." HAIPHONG, VIETNAM (SEPTEMBER 7, 2024) (REUTERS) TREES SWAYING IN WIND ALONG COAST AS TYPHOON YAGI MAKES LANDFALL VARIOUS OF INTENSE RAIN, OBSTRUCTING VIEW, AS SEEN FROM BALCONY AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (SEPTEMBER 11, 2024) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) CLIMATE SCIENTIST, NADIA BLOEMENDALL, SAYING: "At the World Weather Attribution, we found that climate change had a significant effect on the rainfall totals of Typhoon Gaemi. We haven't looked into Typhoon Yagi yet, but Yagi and the intense precipitation totals, they do fall in a pattern, which is that typhoons and cyclones in general are getting wetter, so they bring more rain when they make landfall. This is due to a meteorological fact, a meteorological principle, which is that warm air can hold more moisture, so the atmosphere is getting warmer, the typhoons in themselves are also getting wetter, so they can bring more rain when they make landfall. Those rainfall totals that you see in Yagi, which are exceeding 400 millimeters, chances are that we're going to see those rainfall totals more often in the future." THAI NGUYEN, VIETNAM (SEPTEMBER 11, 2024) (REUTERS) PEOPLE ON CANOE ROWING PAST PARTIALLY SUBMERGED VAN VARIOUS OF PARTIALLY SUBMERGED VAN AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (SEPTEMBER 11, 2024) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) CLIMATE SCIENTIST, NADIA BLOEMENDALL, SAYING: "We published a paper where we looked at how the chances of a very strong tropical cyclone are changing under climate change and what we saw was that in the Western North Pacific, and specifically in this region where Yagi also occurred, are that these chances are substantially increasing under climate change. Then we're talking five to tenfold increases compared to the present climate." THAI NGUYEN, VIETNAM (SEPTEMBER 11, 2024) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING IN FLOODWATER LITTERED WITH GARBAGE 65 YEAR-OLD RESIDENT, LUU THI PHIN, CLEARING RUBBISH IN FRONT OF HER HOUSE AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (SEPTEMBER 11, 2024) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) CLIMATE SCIENTIST, NADIA BLOEMENDALL, SAYING: "So there is general consensus amongst the scientists that tropical cyclones are getting more intense, that tropical cyclones are getting wetter, that storm surges are increasing, which is due to the combination of the cyclone being more intense, and sea level rise - those are three factors that we generally agree on. It's also already visible that cyclones are getting more intense, that they are getting wetter, that storm surges are already increasing with the ongoing sea level rise." THAI NGUYEN, VIETNAM (SEPTEMBER 11, 2024) (REUTERS) PEOPLE STANDING AROUND FLOODED AREA VARIOUS OF SUPPLIES BEING TRANSPORTED ON BOATS BY RESCUERS
- Embargoed: 26th September 2024 14:39
- Keywords: climate change climate science cyclone storm yagi typhoon
- Location: AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS + VARIOUS, VIETNAM
- City: AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS + VARIOUS, VIETNAM
- Country: Vietnam
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Disaster/Accidents,Wind/Hurricane/Typhoons/Tornadoes
- Reuters ID: LVA001331111092024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The likelihood of a very strong tropical cyclone like Typhoon Yagi are increasing due to climate change, which killed at least 179 people in Vietnam.
"So there is general scientific consensus that tropical cyclones are getting more intense, that tropical cyclones are getting wetter, that storm surges are increasing," said climate scientist Nadia Bloemendaal, a researcher at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
There is no scientific consensus yet around how climate change is impacting the number of storms in a season, although the timing of stronger storms is changing, as climate warming creates conditions conducive to storms in more months of the year.
Sea surface temperatures in the region remain high, which can contribute to the amount of fuel in a storm, or intensity. If it weren't for the oceans, the planet would be much hotter due to climate change. But in the last 40 years, the ocean has absorbed about 90% of the warming caused by heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions.
Much of this ocean heat is contained near the water's surface. This additional heat can fuel a storm's intensity and power stronger winds. Storms like Yagi are also getting wetter.
Those rainfall totals that you see in Yagi, which are exceeding 400 millimeters, chances are that we're going to see those rainfall totals more often in the future," said Bloemendaal.
Typhoon Yagi is Asia's most powerful storm this year. The region has also been hit by other notable storms, including Typhoon Gaemi and Typhoon Shanshan.
The world has already warmed 1.3 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial average. Burning coal, oil and gas is the main driver of climate change.
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