The effects of climate change are very evident with the temperature rise experienced globally. Change in temperature, frequent forest fires, melting of ice, extreme and unusual rainfall, should be a wake up call for us to consider the phenomenon of climate change seriously.
In 2020, the number of fire alerts for wildfires went up by 13% globally as per the World Wide Fund for nature (WWF). The planet became 5 degrees warmer in 5,000 years, but the predicted rate of warming in the next century is 20 times faster. The matter of concern is that a 3 degrees celsius rise in temperature can affect upto 43% of the glaciers of the Himalayan mountains. As a consequence of losing the glaciers, the region can suffer from water scarcity.
Climate Change in India
In a recent report in the Indian Express, the director general of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Mr. Mrityunjay Mohapatra had explained the causes and projections of extreme weather conditions in India. Heavy rainfall was seen in states like Gujarat, West Bengal, Odisha, and Maharashtra. Whereas a low rainfall was seen in Kerala, Jharkhand and some other areas. But the total amount of rain received remained constant. This indicates that in some places, either it rained to an extreme extent or there was no rain at all.
The reason for this extreme weather condition was cited to be the rise in temperature. The Global rise in temperature has gone up by 1.2 degrees Celsius as compared to the past hundred years. In India, it has increased by 0.6 degrees Celsius. It has mostly affected the Northern, Central and Eastern parts of the country.
This rise in temperature not only affects the surface but also the troposphere. The moisture holding capacity of the atmosphere increases, as a result of which extreme rainfall is experienced. The recent trends show that light and moderate rainfall has decreased and heavy rainfall has increased.
This extreme weather leads to an increase in floods, rainstorm, thunderstorm and lightning. A rise in the intensity of cyclones from the Arabian Sea has also been reported. The current projection by IMD is frequent and intense weather events. According to the weather bureau chief, the probability of experiencing heavy rainfall has increased.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had also expressed his concern over the issue of climate change recently. On 25th July 2021, he called for the leadership of G20 to address the issue of climate change. Climate Change and extreme weather conditions are a raging concern for the world right now and also predicted to be in the future.
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