Scientists have linked Cyclone Chido’s intense strength to climate change, estimating that similar storms are now 40% more likely due to global warming. Chido, which struck Mayotte, is the most damaging cyclone in 90 years, raising fears of a high death toll. Advanced models reveal significant increases in wind speeds attributed to recent climate changes.
A preliminary study conducted by scientists at Imperial College London indicates that climate change significantly intensified Cyclone Chido as it approached the Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte. Comparing the current climate to pre-industrial conditions, researchers estimated that cyclones akin to Chido are now 40 percent more likely to occur in 2024 due to global warming. When Chido made landfall on Saturday, it became the most destructive cyclone to impact Mayotte in 90 years, destroying structures and posing a severe threat to the local population, many of whom live in vulnerable housing. The severity of the disaster’s aftermath remains uncertain, with concerns that the death toll may ultimately reach thousands.
As a Category 4 cyclone, which is classified just below the highest intensity level, Chido wreaked havoc across the archipelago. The scientists employed advanced computer models simulating millions of tropical cyclones to ascertain the influence of climate change on the storm’s intensity. Their findings revealed that wind speeds at the landfall location increased by three miles per second as a result of warming conditions, prompting the study to assert that climate change “uplifted the intensity of a tropical cyclone like ‘Chido’ from a Category 3 to Category 4.”
While the French meteorological service refrains from definitively linking Chido’s intensity to global warming, they acknowledge that human-induced climate change is making storms more severe. The cyclone’s terrible impact on Mayotte was exacerbated by its trajectory across the island. With current temperatures approximately 1.3 degrees Celsius higher than those before industrialization, scientists warn that this warming leads to an increase in extreme weather events as warmer air holds more moisture and warmer oceans facilitate greater evaporation, enhancing storm conditions.
The article discusses the connection between climate change and the increasing intensity of tropical cyclones, specifically focusing on Cyclone Chido that struck Mayotte. The research highlights a trend observed by scientists, indicating that global warming impacts the frequency and ferocity of tropical storms. These changes are attributed to warmer ocean temperatures and altered atmospheric conditions that contribute to the formation of more potent cyclones, posing significant risks to vulnerable regions such as Mayotte. The case of Cyclone Chido serves as a critical example of these broader climatic shifts and their dire consequences for populations living in affected areas.
In conclusion, the relationship between climate change and the intensification of tropical cyclones is becoming increasingly evident, as demonstrated by Cyclone Chido’s unprecedented impact on Mayotte. Research indicates that such cyclones are now more likely due to elevated global temperatures resulting from anthropogenic activities. Although the long-term impacts and complete toll of Chido are still unfolding, this event underscores the urgent need to address climate change to mitigate its severe effects on vulnerable communities worldwide.
Original Source: www.rfi.fr
