Extreme Weather Events of 2022

JEAS-Blog

Extreme Weather Events of 2022
Muhammad Ishaq Asif Rehmani 1,*
1 Department of Agronomy, Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakistan
*mrehmani@gudgk.edu.pk

Credit: Kureng Dapel/WMO Calendar During 2022 wide range of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts, floods, and forest fires, were observed worldwide. These climate change-induced extreme events and disasters set new records, left millions of people affected, and cost billions. Although there were no new global temperature records, however, several national heat records were recorded in different parts of the world. Mapping annual temperature anomalies (1850 to 2022). Credit: @ed_hawkins Global Heatwave 2022 Asia Pakistan-India Heatwave 2022: Exceptionally hot and dry weather was recorded in a large segment of the northern hemisphere, including Pakistan, China, India. Specifically, Pakistan and India experienced a record-breaking heatwave in March and April. After heatwave, Pakistan experienced another extreme weather event, a mega-flood in August 2022. Pakistan Flood (August 2022) During July and August record-breaking rains were observed across Pakistan. At national scale rainfall was +243% above climatic average with significant spatial variation, highest for Sindh province (+726%) followed by Balochistan province (+590%) (WMO). Credit: Pakistan Meteorological Department, CDPC, Karachi These extreme rains resulted in extensive flooding with at least 1700 deaths, affecting 22-33 million people, flooding one-third of Pakistan, and displacing more than 7.9 million people. Flood also affected more than 48,000 km2 croplands, posing serious threats to regional food security.  Credit : United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT)

• China experienced record breaking heatwave and warmest summer on record.

Europe European Heatwave 2022:  Highest Temperature during heatwave: 47.0 °C (116.6 °F), recorded at Pinhao, Portugal (14 July 2022) (The Portugal News) Credit: NOAA Greenland: Late Season Melting

In September 2022 (1-6 September), a substantial ice melting event was recorded atop the Greenland ice sheet. Scientists warned about the implications of this extensive melting event. At its peak on July 18, surface melting spanned 688,000 square kilometers (266,000 square miles) of the ice sheet. A late-season warm spell (September 1–6 2022, with its peak on September 3), caused the melting of 592,000 square kilometers of the ice sheet.

Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) model was used to generate map Credit: NOAA UK: 2022 was the hottedt year on record (since records began in 1659) (Met Office, UK) Credit: Met Office, UK First Time in the UK: 40.3 °C recorded for the first time  The UK’s new record-high temperature of 40.3°C at Coningsby, Lincolnshire. In London, a National Emergency was declared on 15th July 2022, and issued extreme heat warning. Credit: Met Office, UK Credit: Met Office, UK Aside from the record-breaking temperatures, key climatic feature of 2022 was the dry conditions across the UK with below-average annual rainfalls. The summer of 2022 was recorded as the 10th driest summer. (Met Office UK) Credit: Met Office, UK United States of America Western U.S. Record-Breaking Heatwave (September 2022): Extreme heat fueled wildfires All-time high Temperature was recorded in several cities including King City,  Napa, Livermore, Redwood City, San Jose, and Santa Rosa, reaching around 115°F (46.0°C). Merced and Sacramento reached 116°F (46.7°C), their highest temperatures (since record-keeping began). Air temperature map across the western U.S. at the peak of the heatwave (September 6, 2022). Credit: NOA Earth Observatory.   South America South American Heatwave, (November-December 2022): A large region of Latin America including Argentina (Central-Northern parts), Bolivia (Southern Part), Chile (Central region), Paraguay and Uruguay, experienced record-breaking temperatures during two consecutive heatwaves in late November and early December 2022.  

• Suggest extreme weather event/s of 2022 in the comments section