Increasing Number of People Affected as Warmer Seas Make Storms More Dangerous

Climate change has caused tropical storms to increase in strength. One contributing factor is rising sea temperatures, which can give storms more power and lead to worse consequences for those affected.

At the end of October, Hurricane Melissa caused at least 50 deaths and massive destruction in the Caribbean. Since then, several tropical storms have hit Southeast Asia, killing over 1,000 people.

Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia have all been affected, and millions of people in the region have been forced to leave their homes as a result of severe flooding and flash floods.

Philippines particularly affected

In the Philippines, super typhoon Fung-Wong struck at the end of November, less than a week after another storm killed more than 200 people. The country is one of the most vulnerable in the world when it comes to tropical storms, and several studies have shown a link between the strength of storms and climate change.

Storms hit hard at those already vulnerable

As the planet warms up, warmer oceans provide extra fuel for storms, which then risk hitting communities that are often already vulnerable to extreme weather even harder.

Nurse Katrin Kisswani, who has worked for many years for the aid organisation Médecins Sans Frontières, describes how the long-term consequences for those affected are often devastating. This includes destroyed homes, ruined infrastructure and the inability to earn a living.

‘It increases the vulnerability of already vulnerable groups,’ says Katrin Kisswani.

Hear Katrin Kisswani tell more about what they see out in the field in the report.