Capitals-SANA
Scientists have warned that extreme weather events seen in many countries around the world could become increasingly common as the climate crisis accelerates, putting pressure on governments to prepare for such an order.
"Global warming is actually changing the characteristics of rainfall in terms of frequency, intensity and duration," said Zhong Eyun Chu, an atmospheric and climate scientist at City University in Hong Kong, China, as saying, noting that "the devastation that occurred during this summer was caused by a combination of different factors, including natural climatic fluctuations."
"Record warm ocean temperatures have fueled the hyperactive Atlantic hurricane season that shows no signs of slowing down," experts say.
According to the Washington-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "more than 90 percent of global temperature rises over the past 50 years have occurred in the oceans."
This month, Storm Daniel, one of Europe's worst storms, hit large swathes of the Mediterranean as a result of the extremely strong low-pressure system that fell under the Medicane category, a relatively rare type of storm with cyclone-like characteristics that can lead to serious rainfall and flooding.
The most devastating effect ever was in Libya, where Storm Daniel moved across the Mediterranean and gained strength from unusually warm sea waters, before causing heavy rains in the northeast.
Although the scale of destruction and loss of human life was smaller in Asia, it also experienced deadly and unprecedented storms, with two typhoons, Saola and Haikoui, hitting the region within days during the first week of this month, causing widespread damage on the Chinese island of Taiwan, the city of Hong Kong and other parts of southern China.
Parts of the Americas were flooded, with Brazil recording more than 30 deaths last week after heavy rains and flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, the worst natural disaster to hit the state in 40 years.
At the same time, a heavy rainstorm hit the Nevada desert in the United States of America, stranding thousands there.
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