Increased number of “blocking events” to create deadly weather systems

https://www.indianaenvironmentalreporter.org/posts/increased-number-of-blocking-events-to-create-deadly-weather-systems

Manmade climate change will increase the number of stalled weather patterns and create more deadly extreme weather events, according to researchers from the National Science Foundation and Rice University. The recent study found that the frequency of atmospheric blocking events – middle-latitude, high-pressure weather systems that remain stagnant for days or weeks – will increase by approximately 17% thanks to climate change. Heat waves are one common symptom of stagnant weather systems, but blocking vents can also cause extreme cold, droughts, and flooding. The National Science Foundation attributes some of the 21st century’s deadliest extreme weather to blocking events, such as heat waves in France in 2003 and Russia in 2010, which resulted in human deaths. In addition to evaluating the frequency of these systems, the scientists also looked at the prospective size of the blocking events. They found that the events will get larger as time goes on, meaning they will have more influence on weather patterns and create bigger impacts for humans.