In late July, Typhoon Gaemi, described as “hyper-violent,” wreaked havoc across the Philippines, Taiwan, and China’s Hunan province. With wind speeds reaching 145 mph (233 km/h) and rainfall leading to catastrophic floods, the typhoon caused immense devastation—destroying homes, sinking ships, and leaving at least 100 people dead. The extent of the damage, which included floods in Manila as deep as a one-storey building, affected millions and underscored the escalating threat posed by climate change in Asia.
A recent analysis by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group has confirmed that the severity of Typhoon Gaemi was significantly intensified by human-induced global heating. The researchers found that Gaemi’s wind speeds were 9 mph (14 km/h) faster and its rainfall was up to 14% higher due to the burning of fossil fuels. These findings reinforce the grim reality that as global temperatures rise, driven by fossil fuel consumption, the frequency and intensity of deadly storms like Gaemi will increase.
Dr Ben Clarke, a researcher at Imperial College London and a member of the WWA team, warned that fossil fuel-driven warming is ushering in an era of more powerful and deadly typhoons. “Asia will become an increasingly dangerous place to live until fossil fuels are replaced with renewable energy,” Clarke stated. His colleague, Dr Friederike Otto, echoed these sentiments, emphasising the urgent need to reduce inequality and protect vulnerable populations in Asia to mitigate the impacts of such devastating storms.
The WWA’s research is a sobering reminder that the climate crisis is not a distant threat but a present danger, especially in Asia. Since 1900, there has been a 30% increase in the number of typhoons as intense as Gaemi in the northwest Pacific Ocean. With carbon emissions continuing to rise and each of the 13 months leading up to June 2024 being the hottest on record, the urgency for global action has never been greater.
As we confront the realities of climate change, Maja Vahlberg of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre stresses the importance of further developing flood protection and emergency response plans, particularly in vulnerable areas like the low-lying shantytowns around Manila. The future safety of millions depends on the decisions made today.