Super storms sweep the world in 2024

The 2024 hurricane season was notable for unusually strong storms, causing much more damage than the 10-year average, according to a year-end report by German reinsurer Munich Re. Extremely high sea surface temperatures contribute to increased storm intensity – a wake-up call about the impact of climate change.

“The total number of tropical storms this season is not impressive, but what stands out is the rapid increase in intense storms with extremely heavy rainfall. This phenomenon is increasingly linked to the effects of climate change Strengthening prevention and recovery measures is extremely important to reduce human losses in future storms,” ​​said Thomas Blunck, member of the board of directors of Munich Re.

According to preliminary estimates, storms in the North Atlantic and Northwest Pacific caused total damage of about 133 billion USD. This is significantly higher than the 10-year average ($89.2 billion) and the 30-year average ($62.6 billion). This year’s storm losses are the second largest in the past decade, behind only 2017.

The year 2024 recorded 18 tropical storms in the North Atlantic. 11 storms reached wind speeds of more than 119 km/h, of which 5 became super storms with wind speeds of more than 177 km/h (reaching levels 3 – 5 on the 5-level Saffir-Simpson storm scale). This is well above the long-term average of 12 tropical storms and 2.8 hurricanes, and above the average for recent warm periods in the North Atlantic since 1995 (15 ,7 tropical storms and 3.3 super storms).

The Pacific Northwest has 25 storms this year. 15 tropical storms reached wind speeds of more than 119 km/h, of which 9 storms reached levels 3 – 5, the strongest levels of the Saffir-Simpson storm scale. A total of 18 storms made landfall.

The storms causing the most damage in 2024

Hurricane Beryl set many meteorological records, mainly for formation and intensity, such as being the strongest hurricane to develop in the Atlantic Major Development Region (MDR) before July and being the strongest hurricane to develop in the Atlantic Ocean’s Major Development Region (MDR) before July. 5 earliest according to the Saffir-Simpson scale. Beryl caused catastrophic consequences when it made landfall three times in one week, first on the island nation of Grenada on July 1, followed by the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico, on July 5 and finally Texas, USA. , July 8.

Helene is the most damaging storm of the year. The storm made landfall in the sparsely populated “Big Bend” region of Florida in late September with winds of up to 225 km/h. But Helene will be remembered more for the record rainfall it brought to the states of North Carolina and Georgia than for the impact of winds farther south. Widespread heavy rain caused unprecedented flooding, killing more than 200 people. Total damage caused by Helene is estimated at about 56 billion USD.

Just two weeks after Helene, Hurricane Milton continued to make landfall near Sarasota, Florida. The rapid strengthening speed of Storm Milton surprised many people. In just about a day, it strengthened into a level 5 storm, the strongest level on the Saffir – Simpson scale, with winds of up to 290 km/h as it moved through the Gulf of Mexico, towards central Florida. This is the third fastest intensifying storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the US National Weather Service.

Milton hit Florida’s populous southwest coast with wind speeds of more than 200 km/h, reaching category 3. Although weakened before landfall, the storm’s winds still caused the water to rise abnormally, submerging more 200 km of coastline with waves up to 2 m high. With total damages of about 38 billion USD and insured losses of about 25 billion USD, this is the most expensive storm of the year for insurance companies.

The storm that caused the heaviest damage in Asia and ranked third in the world this year was Yagi. Hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed and millions of people were affected by this super storm. Total damage is estimated at up to 14 billion USD.

Super Typhoon Yagi hit the Philippines, Hainan Island and the southern tip of Guangdong province, China before making landfall in Northern Vietnam on September 7. It also caused heavy rain, causing floods to begin hitting Myanmar on September 9. The World Food Program (WFP) said this was the worst flood in modern Myanmar history. The country recorded more than 400 deaths due to the impact of the storm.

In Vietnam, Yagi is the strongest super storm in the past 30 years. From a tropical depression in the East Sea, Yagi strengthened into a super storm at a speed never before seen in Vietnam’s meteorological history. Typhoon Yagi caused floods throughout the North, killing 320 people, 25 missing, affecting 3.6 million people and damaging more than 322,000 houses.

Climate change makes storms more dangerous

El Nino and La Lina are two opposite phases of the ENSO phenomenon, indicating anomalous warming and cooling of sea surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial region and central Pacific Ocean, with a cycle of about 8 – 12 months. months, sometimes 3-4 years. ENSO affects the number of storms that form in many different areas around the world. After a year of El Nino (warm phase), the transition to La Nina (cold phase) in 2024 is slower than expected.

In the North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, water temperatures are near or have reached record highs for nearly the entire 2024 hurricane season, in large part due to climate change. New studies continue to show a clear impact of climate change on storm intensity and rainfall. For example, Milton’s extreme rainfall is twice as likely to occur in today’s climate than in a hypothetical world without climate change. In addition, the storm intensity is also 40% higher.

Researchers also found evidence of the influence of climate change on the tendency for storms to strengthen rapidly. For example, Hurricane Milton developed from a regular tropical storm into a Category 5 superstorm with wind speeds of over 251 km/h in just one day. Earlier in the season, storm Beryl also experienced a similar “rapid intensification” phenomenon, strengthening into a level 5 storm in two days.