Science 10
Is Weather Becoming More Extreme?
Sarah Stride
In recent years extreme weather has been more frequent and more intense. Looking at past
and present statistics Hurricanes have been happening more often and are getting more
intense. The first storm is the Great Hurricane Of 1780. This hurricane is holding the record as
the deadliest Atlantic hurricane. This storm wiped out Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Lesser
Antilles, Bermuda, and possibly Florida and other States. Not knowing the total damages the
death toll was well over 22,000 people. The second storm is the 1970 Bhola cyclone. The 1970
Bhola cyclone is the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded. This storm hit East Pakistan
(Bangladesh today) and India's West Bengal on November 12, 1970. No one knowing the exact
death toll, it is estimated that 300,000-500,000 people perished in the aftermath of this storm,
making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent history. The Bhola was not extremely
large, reaching strengths equivalent of a Category 3 Hurricane. The last storm is Hurricane
Katrina in 2005. Hurricane Katrina was the largest and 3rd strongest hurricane ever recorded to
make landfall in the US. Katrina was at a Category 5 hurricane, with winds up to 175 mph. The
storm surge from Katrina was 20-ft (six meters) high. The final death toll was at 1,836, mostly
from Louisiana (1,577) and Mississippi (238). More than half of these victims were senior
citizens. 705 people are reported as still missing as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane
Katrina affected over 15 million people in different ways from having to leave their homes,
rising gas prices, and the economy suffering. It was estimated that 80% of New Orleans was
under water. Hurricane Katrina caused $81 billion in property damages, but it is estimated that
the total economic impact in Louisiana and Mississippi may exceed $150 billion, earning the
title of expensive hurricane ever in US history. Hurricane Katrina impacted about 90,000 square
miles. From looking at these three Hurricanes we can see that they have gotten more intense
and they are happening more often.
Droughts have been more frequent and more intense throughout the years. The Horn of
Africa has been affected by droughts almost every year for the past 12 years. Data for 2009
shows that Kenya’s agriculture was the most severely affected, with wheat fields dropping by
45% compared to 2010’s good crop season. Australia suffered multi-year droughts between
2002 and 2010. The total Australia wheat fields in 2006 dropped by 46%. The 2010 drought in
Russia was very long, intensive, spread over a sizeable area and caused serious damage to the
environment, economy and human health. Droughts have a huge impact on the earth and on
the people. Droughts are getting more frequent every year.
Temperature extremes are greater than they have been historically. With the look of the
chart below you can see the weather at its highest and it’s lowest. Throughout the years the
numbers are increasing.
Science 10
Is Weather Becoming More Extreme?
Sarah Stride
World
Weather
Element
World
Value
Element
Characterist
ic
Date
(D/M/Y)
Site
Observatio
ns
Geopolitica Longitud
l Location
e/
Latitude
temperatu
re
Highest
56.7°C
Temperatur (134°F)
e
10/7/191
3
1911present
Furnace
36°27'N, -54m (Creek
116°51'W 179ft) )
(Greenland
Ranch), CA,
USA
Lowest
-89.2°C (Temperatur 128.5°F)
e
21/7/198
3
1912present
Vostok,
Antarctica
77°32'S,
106°40'E
3420m
(11,220
ft)
Highest Sea
Lvl Air
Pressure
Below
750m
1083.8 hPa 31/12/19
68
1961present
Agata,
Russia
66°53'N,
93°28'E
261m
(856.3ft
)
Highest Sea
Lvl Air
Pressure
Above
750m
1089.1 hPa 30/12/20
04
1963present
Tosontseng 48°44'N,
el Mongolia 98°16'E
1724.6
m
(5658.1
ft)
Lowest Sea
Lvl Air
Pressure
(excluding
tornadoes)
870 hPa
12/10/19
79
1951present
Eye of
Typhoon
Tip
16°44'N,
137°46'E
0m
Greatest 1- 31.2mm
Min Rainfall (1.23")
4/7/1956
1948present
Unionville,
MD, USA
38°48'N,
76°08'W
152m
(499ft)
Greatest
60-Min
Rainfall
305mm
(12.0")
22/6/194
7
Holt, MO,
USA
39°27'N,
94°20'W
263m
(863ft)
Greatest
12-Hr
1.144 m
(45.0'')
78/1/1966
Foc-Foc, La
Réunion
21°14'S,
55°41'E
2290m
(7513ft)
pressure
rainfall
1966-1990
Elevatio
n
Science 10
World
Weather
Element
Is Weather Becoming More Extreme?
World
Value
Element
Characterist
ic
Sarah Stride
Date
(D/M/Y)
Site
Observatio
ns
Geopolitica Longitud
l Location
e/
Latitude
Elevatio
n
Rainfall
Greatest
24-Hr
Rainfall
1.825m
(71.8")
78/1/1966
1966-1990
Foc-Foc, La
Réunion
21°14'S,
55°41'E
2290m
(7513ft)
Greatest
48-Hr
Rainfall
2.493m
(98.15")
1516/6/199
5
1850present
Cherrapunji 25°02'N,
, India
91°08'E
1313m
(4308ft)
Greatest
72-Hr
Rainfall
3.930m
(154.72")
2426/2/200
7
1968present
Cratère
Commerso
n, La
Réunion
21°12'S,
55°39'E
2310m
(7579ft)
Greatest
96-Hr
Rainfall
4.936m
(194.33")
2427/2/200
7
1968present
Cratère
Commerso
n, La
Réunion
21°12'S,
55°39'E
2310m
(7579ft)
Greatest
12-Mo
Rainfall
26.47m
(1042")
8/18607/1861
1851present
Cherrapunji 25°02'N,
, India
91°08'E
1313m
(4308ft)
hail
Heaviest
Hailstone
1.02kg
(2.25lb)
14/4/198
6
Gopalganj
23°00'N,
district,
89°56'E
Bangladesh
4m
(13.1ft)
aridity
Longest Dry 173
Period
months
10/19031/1918
Arica, Chile
18°29'S,
70°18'W
65m
(213ft)
wind
Maximum
Gust
113.2m/s
(253mph;
220kt)
1055 UTC
10/4/199
6
1932present
Barrow
Island
Australia
20°49'S,
115°23'E
64m
(210ft)
Maximum
Gust for
113.2m/s
(253mph;
1055 UTC
10/4/199
1949-
Barrow
Island
20°49'S,
64m
Science 10
World
Weather
Element
lightning
Is Weather Becoming More Extreme?
Sarah Stride
World
Value
Element
Characterist
ic
Date
(D/M/Y)
Site
Observatio
ns
Geopolitica Longitud
l Location
e/
Latitude
Elevatio
n
Tropical
Cyclone
220kt)
6
present
Australia
(210ft)
<="">
Under
Investigati
on
115°23'E
Citations
"11 Facts About Hurricane Katrina." 11 Facts About Hurricane Katrina. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.
<https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-hurricane-katrina>.
"The 10 Biggest, Deadliest, Most Destructive Hurricanes EVER!" Ranker. Web. 24 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.ranker.com/list/10-biggest-deadliest-most-destructive-hurricane_s-ever/jeff419?page=2>.
Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.fao.org/docrep/017/aq191e/aq191e.pdf>.
"World Meteorological Organization." Global Weather & Climate Extremes. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
<http://wmo.asu.edu/#global>.