Daniel Wolfram
A brand-new report lists the 10 countries most at risk of severe storms. It also outlines how countries can adapt.
According to the recent WorldRiskReport, an annual report that assesses global disaster risks, rising global temperatures are fueling storms that are increasingly getting wilder.
“Climate change is making storms more intense, shifting their paths, and putting more and more people within their reach,” write Dr. Ilona Auer Frege and Dr. Katrin Radtke in the report.
Dr. Friederike Otto, climate scientist at World Weather Attribution, is interviewed in the report and details the shift. “We are seeing a rise in the proportion of the most powerful storms. When a tropical cyclone develops under these warmer conditions, it has access to more energy, increasing the intensity of its wind speeds and associated rainfall,” Dr. Otto said.
Which countries are most at risk?
These storms are inching closer towards metropolitan cities all over the world. Hurricane Ophelia proved that back in 2017 when it struck Ireland and the Iberian Peninsula.
“Cities like New York and Boston, or Beijing and Tokyo will see tropical cyclones in the future,” Dr. Otto warned.
The report, issued by Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft and the IFHV at Ruhr University Bochum, reveals storms cause the highest economic damage of any natural hazard. The WorldRiskReport has a “Storm Risk Index” that tracks the 10 countries that are most in danger of getting exposed to extreme storms.
Those 10 countries are: the Philippines, Mexico, Japan, Madagascar, Mauritius, China, Micronesia, South Korea, Australia, and the US.
Europe escapes the worst tropical systems, as the storm index only has Ukraine and Portugal listed among the 100 countries most at risk. Still, these storms can carry heavy rain all the way to the continent. “Especially in Northern Europe, we see an increase in the number of these storms, which means that winters have become much wetter,” Dr. Otto explained.
Rethinking how countries respond to weather
Spotting the storms forming early is only half the battle. Many warning systems track wind speeds while ignoring flash floods and landslides.
The report encourages countries to think outside the box when it comes to climate change.
“Storm warning systems must reduce vulnerabilities, not just track hazards,” writes Dr. Ilan Kelman in the report. Factors like an inclusive early warning system where alerts are readily available for everyone in a given country to understand are essential.
Dr. Otto further stresses that societal changes can help save many lives. “The future significance [of storms] lies not only in their physical intensity, but also in how well societies adapt, through resilient infrastructure, improved forecasting, early warning systems, and climate mitigation efforts,” she said.
