Effect: Climate Change

• How will climate change affect the distribution of tropical storms?

  • May increase as warmer seas mean that the source areas may extend to areas north + south of the equator.
  • Low-lying coastal communities are more at risk = low income + high population density.
• Intensity of Tropical Storms affected by Climate Change

  • Likely to be more intense and powerful
  • Warmer seas means there is more energy to increase the intensity
  • Rising sea levels = Risk of coastal flooding from storm surges will be greater, especially in low-lying coastal areas
• How is the frequency of tropical storms affected by climate change?

  • No direct and reliable correlation
  • Warmer oceans might increase the length of tropical storm seasons.
  • Prediction about frequency is harder due to lack of historical records for the South Pacific.
• What is extreme weather?

  • When a weather event is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.
  • Especially severe or unseasonal.