Colby Lazcano discusses the environmental implications of the chaotic UK weather
On October the 9th, Hurricane Milton reached Florida after travelling from the Gulf of Mexico, of which as a result it was found on the 14th of October that at least 24 people had died. Hurricane Helene, two weeks earlier, had caused the deaths of over 230 people across the states it travelled through.
The two main theories of hurricane formation both require convergence of winds to occur, and a deflection of these winds via the Coriolis Effect. The Heat Engine theory states that warm surface temperatures in the ocean (of which need to reach down under the ocean) as well as high wind speeds cause heat to be moved up into the air. At the cooler air temperatures above, clouds form from the water vapour. As the temperature is higher closer to the surrounding “eye”, a high pressure causes the winds to move outwards from the centre, and the heat is lost to space. The other Convection theory states that colder temperatures in the air get warmer through condensation via warm ocean surface temperatures, which raises the pressure at the top of the forming hurricane. This causes the air to move outwards, and an area of low pressure forms at the ocean surface. The air then spins counter-clockwise and causes the water below to create friction of which causes the winds to converge more. The released heat causes a positive feedback which causes the hurricane to get stronger.
this means that more damage is likely to occur in the future
Climate change has increased the surface temperatures of the oceans, meaning that hurricanes are likely to be stronger in the future via increasing wind speeds. Hurricanes do not last that long on land and require the warm temperatures to keep itself going, and with the Atlantic Ocean temperature being 1.1°C higher than the average, above that of the last 40 years, this means that more damage is likely to occur in the future, in spite of what warnings are given to the public. However, the actual number of hurricanes is likely to stay the same in spite of climate change. A negative effect of climate change that is likely to cause more damage in the future via hurricanes are rising sea levels, as the storm surge will become higher if the sea level is already higher. A global average sea level rise of 3.4mm per year shows the increasing risk of this danger.
The aspects of hurricanes that cause the most damage are the flooding, and high sea. In America alone, the hurricanes of 2023 caused damage costing $93.1 billion. Generally speaking, it is unlikely that we will be able to prevent the rising temperatures and stronger extreme weather events, especially in the short-term, however the long-term effects can be alleviated.
Generally speaking, it is unlikely that we will be able to prevent the rising temperatures and stronger extreme weather events
In terms of the UK and its’ problem of flooding (affected by climate change), defences such as the Foss Barrier, which since 1987 has prevented the ruin of hundreds of properties in York, with there being a refurbishment completed in 2022. However, in 2024 it was reported that the Environment Agency was not being sufficiently funded, meaning that the UK’s defences against flooding are not as effective as they should be. Worldwide, many countries heavily affected by climate change, such as Ethiopia and Somalia, do not have the same financial capabilities that richer countries have (like the UK) to provide protection against climate change.
In order to help alleviate current problems from climate change – such as drought – these lower-income countries have less of an ability to focus on sustainable development. However, improved new tactics in soil conservation has lead to an increase in protection against drought (made worse by climate change) in Ethiopia. Although many problems will arise in the future due to climate change around the world, development over the years of successful tactics and policies against other extreme weather events provide evidence that the same could happen with climate change. Developed hurricane warning systems in America have helped Americans evacuate to safety before their homes could be destroyed, such as those given for Hurricane Milton. However, it must be known that Hurricane Mitch in 1998 killed over 11,000 people in Central America, showing the disparity of protection that nations with lower incomes have compared to richer countries.
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