Extreme 2007
Compiled by Angel Sales
Year 2007 was a time of extremes for meteorologists. Several extreme weather events occurred in various parts of the world. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the global land surface temperatures for January and April in 2007 were the hottest since recording began in 1880. An increase of up to more than 1 degree Celsius was recorded last year. From heat waves to flooding, here are some of the extreme weather events:
Wettest summer in Britain causes massive flooding
Month occurred: May to July
Damage assessment: 3 billion pounds worth of damages
50,000 people without power supply
140,000 homes without potable drinking water
Extreme condition: More than 200 percent increase in the average recorded rainfall in some areas of Britain
Super cyclone Gonu hits the Arabian Peninsula
Month occurred: June
Damage assessment: 49 fatalities in Oman and 5 fatalities in Iran
20,000 people evacuated from their homes in Oman and 30,000 people in Iran
Oil exports shut down
Extreme condition: Tropical cyclones with wind strength similar to Gonu (it reached a maximum of 260 kph) are rare occurrences in the Arabian Sea. Gonu became the first documented super cyclone in the Arabian Sea.
Heat wave sweeps through Southeastern Europe
Month Occurred: June and July
Damage assessment: 40 deaths due to increase in temperature and 2 deaths due to wild fires
Caused 130 wild fires
Extreme condition: Temperatures hit over 40° Celsius
Torrential rainfall cause flooding in Southern China
Month occurred: June
Damage assessment: 13.5 million people affected
128 fatalities due to flooding and landslides
480,000 hectares of farmlands, 144,000 homes and buildings damaged
69,000 homes completely destroyed
606 million US dollar worth of economic loss
Extreme condition: Xiangjing River reached its highest mark in 20 years exceeding the warning mark by 4.6 meters
South Asia experiences extreme monsoon weather
Month occurred: June to September
Damage assessment: 48 million people affected by floods throughout India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh
Extreme conditions: The highest-ever rainfall for a single day was recorded in India in July. The amount of rainfall recorded was 94.4 centimeters which fell on Mumbai, the financial centre of the country. The previous highest record was 83.8 centimeters which happened in 1910 in the Indian state of Meghalaya.
Significant snowfall occurs in South Africa
Month occurred: June
Damage assessment: 1 fatality
Extreme condition: 25 centimeters of snow fell across South Africa after more than 2 decades of no significant snowfall. The last snowfall was recorded in 1981.
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Sources: Terra Daily. August 07, 2007 http://www.terradaily.com/reports/WMO_Says_World_Hit_By_Record_Extreme_Weather_Events_In_2007_999.html Date visited: March 18, 2008.
McCarthy, Michael. “Extreme Conditions: What’s Happening to Our Weather”. August 30, 2007. http://archives.zinester.com/13183/139655.html Date visited: March 18, 2008.
“Oman/Iran Cyclone Gonu Situation Report No.1. ” Relief Web. June 07, 2007. http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EKOI-73Y32V?OpenDocument Date visited: March 19, 2008.
“Powerful Cyclone Gonu Strikes Oil-Rich Persian Gulf.” Fox News. June 05, 2007. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,278098,00.html Date visited: March 19, 2008.
Hazards/Climate Extreme. National Climatic Data Center. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/2007/jun/hazards.html Date visited: March 19, 2008.
MacInnis, Laura. “Extreme Weather Breaks records in 2007.” Swissinfo.ch. August 7, 2007. http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/international/ticker/detail/Extreme_weather_breaks_records_in_2007.html?siteSect=143&sid=8086059&cKey=1186493933000&ty=ti Date visited: March 19, 2008.
“46 Million People Severely Affected by South Asia Floods.” CARE. http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2007/08/20070807_southasiaflood.asp Date visited: March 26, 2008.
“Learning to Love and Fear the Rainy Season.” CBC News. August 8, 2007. http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/forcesofnature/monsoon.html Date visited: March 26, 2008.
Climate Change | rp | 12 September 2008 |
