As of: February 21, 2024, 5:25 a.m
By: Rebecca Rohrich
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It's a bleak picture that the US weather agency is painting for January.
Extreme weather events confirm that climate change is in full swing.
© IMAGO/Allison Bailey
It's a bleak picture that the US weather agency paints.
Their data confirms that extreme weather events are currently increasing and climate change is in full swing.
Washington DC – The US National Weather Administration (NOAA) is sounding the alarm.
In the first month of 2024, there were more extreme weather events in the USA than ever before.
And that's not all: these anomalies affect not just small parts of the country, but the entire United States.
From Alaska to Hawaii, flora and fauna are exposed to extreme temperatures and extreme precipitation.
And NOAA makes it clear in its report: This is probably just the beginning.
The cause of the enormous extreme weather conditions is climate change.
As the climate continues to warm, more energy will be pushed into the atmosphere and weather systems.
According to the weather authority, the consequence is, to put it simply: the weather is becoming more extreme and unpredictable.
Climate change is causing extreme weather anomalies in the USA
It has been snowing extremely in Alaska since January.
The southeast of the state is particularly affected, where so much snow has never fallen in January.
According to NOAA, this is the second-highest monthly total on record.
As two strong winter storms made landfall over the Northwest, the Seattle region of Washington state received the most snow in 11 years in January.
However, snow is rather unusual there.
Newsweek.de speaks of an “Arctic explosion” that brought freezing temperatures to the central states of the USA and also supplied regions with snow that actually remain snow-free.
According to NOAA, one low temperature record after another was broken in a strip from the northwest to the Mississippi.
Extreme rain in Texas thanks to climate change
Things looked different in Texas and western Louisiana in January: There it rained non-stop for about a month.
A dam therefore had to release large amounts of water downstream, which caused extreme flooding.
A disaster was then declared in one county.
It also rained extremely in Hawaii in January.
The continuous rain led to flash floods, road closures and power outages.
On the Great Lakes, however, it was between 6 and 12 degrees warmer than usual in January.
Wisconsin experienced its 10th warmest January on record.
Climate change casts its dark shadows ahead: 2023 was a year of sad records
January seamlessly follows on from years that were characterized by weather extremes.
Recent summers have seen unprecedented heat waves in many parts of the United States, with temperatures well above historical averages.
These extended periods of extreme heat pose serious health risks and strain infrastructure, leading to increased energy demands and exacerbating air quality problems.
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Record costs due to extreme weather due to climate change
Over the past seven years (2017-2023), 137 separate billion-dollar disasters have killed at least 5,500 people and caused over $1 trillion in damages.
The start of the extreme weather, which now took place in January 2024, suggests that the USA must once again expect a sad climate-related extreme weather record for the year 2024.
US weather agency certain: It is a historic shift
NOAA's data highlights a clear trend toward increasing weather extremes across the U.S. and underscores the urgent need for concerted action to address the underlying causes of the climate crisis.
Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate the effects of climate change and build resilience are critical steps to address these challenges and secure the future of the planet.
Because NOAA leaves no doubt about it: these extreme weather events represent a historic shift in weather patterns with as yet unforeseen effects in the coming years.
Germany also needs to prepare for climate change, because of course the increase in extreme weather events does not only affect the USA.