Hi everyone,

See below for social sharables and background info and quotes on Cyclone Fani, which made landfall today as the strongest cyclone to hit India in 20 years.

Meteorologists are reporting the superstorm had sustained winds of up to 150 mph (Category 4) when it crossed the Odisha coast. The country is now battling apocalyptic scenes of extreme rainfall, dangerous flooding and intense winds.

We’re sharing suggested social language as well as graphics and video to communicate about this disaster and its climate change links.

LINKS

All graphics & video: http://bit.ly/CycloneFaniGraphics

Business Insider India article: http://bit.ly/2IYdCLf

New York Times article: https://nyti.ms/2DNHg1l

Tropical cyclone fatalities chart: http://bit.ly/TCFatalities

SUGGESTED SOCIAL LANGUAGE

Cyclone Fani made landfall as the equivalent of a major hurricane. The increasing frequency and intensity of cyclones in various regions around the world is a signal of #climatechange. http://bit.ly/2IYdCLf via @BiIndia <insert Narrated Video>

In the US, it’s been documented that water hazards cause the most storm-related fatalities. #ClimateChange contributes to water hazards during tropical cyclones like Fani via higher storm surge & heavier rainfall. http://bit.ly/TCFatalities <insert Narrated Video>

Cyclone Fani is forecast to bring up to eight inches of rain to parts of India. Reminder: Five attribution studies firmly tied #globalwarming to the increase of the increased rainfall of #HurricaneHarvey. https://nyti.ms/2DNHg1l <insert More Rainfall quote graphic>

Head of the Indian Meteorological Department on Fani: “This is a cyclone that’s forming due to the warming of the Bay of Bengal basin.” http://bit.ly/2IYdCLf via @BiIndia @the_hindu <insert Hurricane Impacts graphic>

.@MichaelEMann: “Fani is just the latest reminder of the heightened threat that millions of people around the world face from the combination of rising seas and more intense hurricanes and typhoons.” More from #climate scientists: http://bit.ly/2IYdCLf via @BiIndia <insert Hurricane Impacts graphic>

Rising seas drive up storm surge, scientists call out warm waters in Cyclone Fani

Warming seas are a classic signal of climate change

Cyclone Fani made landfall Friday, making it the strongest cyclone to hit India in 20 years. Meteorologists are reporting the superstorm had sustained winds of up to 150 mph (Category 4) when it crossed the Odisha coast. The country is now battling apocalyptic scenes of extreme rainfall, dangerous flooding and intense winds.

Climate change affects hurricane activity and amplifies damages in three major ways:

Extending storm surge:

• Global warming is driving up sea level, which greatly extends the reach of storms along low-lying areas.
• Coastal communities are at risk, as the most important impact of tropical cyclones in coastal regions is storm surge.
• In the United States from 1963 to 2012, 88 percent of storm-related fatalities occurred in water-related incidents; storm surge caused 49 percent and freshwater floods due to heavy rainfall caused 27 percent. Globally, storm surge kills an average of 13,000 people each year.

Increasing rainfall:

• Unusually warm seas (up to 2°F more than normal) and a warmer atmosphere are helping supercharge deluge. The Bay of Bengal has seen an increase of 1.08°F (0.6°C) in the northern Indian Ocean since 1960, the largest warming among the tropical oceans.
• Global warming is increasing water vapor in the air, which in turn is fueling extreme rainfall, increasing the threat of flooding.

Increasing wind speed:

• Global warming is heating up sea surface temperatures (SST), which in turn raises the maximum potential energy a storm can reach.
• Global warming heats both the sea surface and the deep water, creating ideal conditions for a cyclone to survive and thrive in its journey from tropical depression to Category 4 or 5 superstorm.
• Recent increase in severity of tropical cyclones in Bay of Bengal region is being attributed to the increase in SST.

Quotes from experts

Michael Mann, Penn State Earth System Science Center:
“Fani is just the latest reminder of the heightened threat that millions of people around the world face from the combination of rising seas and more intense hurricanes and typhoons. That threat will only rise if we continue to warm the planet by burning fossil fuels and emitting carbon into the atmosphere.”

Kevin Trenberth, NCAR Distinguished Senior Scientist:
“It is the tropical cyclone season in the Indian Ocean: they get hurricanes, called cyclones there, in the spring and fall because the monsoon season in deep summer creates unfavorable conditions.  In this case a cyclone is threatening populated areas - over 1 million people - and is strong: equivalent to a Category 3 or 4 hurricane, so the potential damage and loss of life looms large.  Climate change from human activities contributes to the warm waters that fuel the storm with moisture and help intensify it and cause greater risk of flooding. Sea surface temperatures have been running 2°(F) above normal in the Bay of Bengal.”

Jill Trepanier, LSU Researcher and Professor:

“Cyclone Fani is one of the most energetic systems the Indian Ocean has seen in April since satellite observation records began here back in the mid 1970s. The closest other was an event in 1999. Sea surface temperatures are about 1-2° warmer than normal in the basin, which is helping to promote the increase in wind speed. These warm ocean temperatures have been seen in various tropical basins in recent years and have helped to support these higher intensity cyclones. Unfortunately, this might be moving us into a new normal for higher intensity systems because of the increase in available energy.”

RESOURCES:

Background: Intense Cyclone, Hurricane, Typhoon Frequency Increase

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