Meteorological Technology International
  • News
    • A-E
      • Agriculture
      • Automated Weather Stations
      • Aviation
      • Climate Measurement
      • Data
      • Developing Countries
      • Digital Applications
      • Early Warning Systems
      • Extreme Weather
    • G-P
      • Hydrology
      • Lidar
      • Lightning Detection
      • New Appointments
      • Nowcasting
      • Numerical Weather Prediction
      • Polar Weather
    • R-S
      • Radar
      • Rainfall
      • Remote Sensing
      • Renewable Energy
      • Satellites
      • Solar
      • Space Weather
      • Supercomputers
    • T-Z
      • Training
      • Transport
      • Weather Instruments
      • Wind
      • World Meteorological Organization
      • Meteorological Technology World Expo
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    • April 2023
    • September 2022
    • April 2022
    • September 2021
    • Archive Issues
    • Subscribe Free!
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Jobs
    • Browse Industry Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook
  • Sign-up for Free Weekly E-Newsletter
  • Meet the Editors
  • Contact Us
  • Media Pack
LinkedIn Facebook
Subscribe
Meteorological Technology International
  • News
      • Agriculture
      • Automated Weather Stations
      • Aviation
      • Climate Measurement
      • Data
      • Developing Countries
      • Digital Applications
      • Early Warning Systems
      • Extreme Weather
      • Hydrology
      • Lidar
      • Lightning Detection
      • New Appointments
      • Nowcasting
      • Numerical Weather Prediction
      • Polar Weather
      • Radar
      • Rainfall
      • Remote Sensing
      • Renewable Energy
      • Satellites
      • Solar
      • Space Weather
      • Supercomputers
      • Training
      • Transport
      • Weather Instruments
      • Wind
      • World Meteorological Organization
      • Meteorological Technology World Expo
  • Features
  • Online Magazines
    1. September 2023
    2. April 2023
    3. September 2022
    4. April 2022
    5. Archive Issues
    6. Subscribe Free!
    Featured
    August 10, 2023

    In this Issue – September 2023

    By Web TeamAugust 10, 2023
    Recent

    In this Issue – September 2023

    August 10, 2023

    In this Issue – April 2023

    April 18, 2023

    In this Issue – September 2022

    August 12, 2022
  • Opinion
  • Videos
  • Supplier Spotlight
  • Jobs
    • Browse Industry Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
Facebook LinkedIn
Meteorological Technology International
Oceans

Climate change impacts increase in southwest Pacific

William AtkinsonBy William AtkinsonAugust 21, 20233 Mins Read
Share LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email
Credit: Pixabay
Share
LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email

A report from WMO indicates that weather-related disasters and climate change impacts are unravelling the fabric of society in the southwest Pacific. Sea level rise threatens the future of low-lying islands while increasing ocean heat and acidification harms vital and vulnerable marine ecosystems.

The State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2022 report is one of a series of five regional reports and a global report from WMO providing the latest climate insights to inform decision making.

The three-year-long La Niña event had a clear influence on temperatures in 2022. But despite its temporary cooling influence, it was still a warm year for the region. The mean temperature in 2022 was 0.2°C to 0.3°C higher than during the last strong La Niña in 2011.

“El Niño, which followed three years of La Niña conditions, is very likely to continue during the rest of the year. This will have a big impact on the southwest Pacific region as it is frequently associated with higher temperatures, disruptive weather patterns and more marine heatwaves and coral bleaching,” said WMO Secretary-General professor Petteri Taalas.

Compared with 2021, the number of reported disaster events decreased; however, economic losses increased. Damage due to flooding was US$8.5bn, almost triple the previous year, with most of the damage attributable to a series of events in Australia. Tropical storms Megi and Nalgae caused devastating flooding in the Philippines.

“Despite continuous efforts to strengthen multi-hazard early warning systems, the present report clearly shows that there are still significant gaps to be addressed,” said Prof. Taalas.

The report shows how the agriculture sector is one of the most critical sectors affected by climate-related disasters, echoing the national adaptation plans of many countries in the southwest Pacific. Enhancing the resilience of food systems is therefore a high priority.

Blue Pacific
The report was released at the Third Pacific Ministerial Meeting on Meteorology (PMMM-3) and the First Development Partners and Donors Engagement Meeting in Fiji. The meetings, which are all interlinked, will be guided by the theme: Sustaining Weather, Climate, Water and Ocean Services for a Resilient Blue Pacific.

“Our Pacific people are at the forefront of the impact of the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Our Pacific leaders have already declared a climate emergency, reaffirming that this is now the single greatest existential threat facing the Blue Pacific,” said Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme’s Director-General, Sefanaia Nawadra.

The WMO report says that sea-level rise rates were, in general, slightly higher than the global mean rate, reaching approximately 4mm per year in several areas. In Indonesia, satellite estimates of the area of a glacier in the western part of the island of New Guinea showed a total ice area in April 2022 of 0.23km², a decrease of about 15% from the previous assessment of 0.27km² in July 2021. From 2016 to 2022, the average reduction in ice area was approximately 0.07 km² per year.

Despite La Niña conditions, marine heatwaves occurred in various parts of the region. Most of the regions in the southwest Pacific show upper-ocean (0–700m) warming since 1993. Warming is particularly strong, with rates exceeding 2–3 times the global average warming rates, in the Solomon Sea and east of the Solomon Islands; in the Arafura, Banda and Timor Seas; east of the Philippines; along the southern coast of Indonesia and in the Tasman Sea, according to the report.

To view the complete report, click here.

Previous ArticleFEATURE: How the latest advances in machine learning are enabling forecasters to make predictions in seconds
Next Article Improved carbon cycle model helps verify reported emissions

Read Similar Stories

Weather Instruments

Saildrone and NOAA set Guinness World Record

September 13, 20232 Mins Read
Oceans

FernCom launches weather sensor system

August 30, 20232 Mins Read
World Meteorological Organization

WMO releases The State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2022 report

August 30, 20236 Mins Read
Latest News

EMS and AMS renew collaboration agreement

September 25, 2023

Major methane leak in the UK detected using satellites

September 22, 2023

NCAS trials use of biofuel to power storm-tracking weather radar

September 22, 2023

Receive breaking stories and features in your inbox each week, for free


Enter your email address:


Supplier Spotlights
  • MicroStep-MIS
Getting in Touch
  • Contact Us / Advertise
  • Meet the Editors
  • Download Media Pack
  • Free Weekly E-Newsletter
Our Social Channels
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
© 2023 UKi Media & Events a division of UKIP Media & Events Ltd
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Notice and Takedown Policy

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.

CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Functional

Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.

Performance

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

Analytics

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

Advertisement

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.

Others

Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.

SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by