When you hear the term climatic hazard, what do you think? Perhaps you remember the hazard lights turned on in your parent's car during the last heavy rainfall event in your city - which could be somewhat related...maybe? However, when geographers hear about climatic hazards, they think about something entirely different. So, what is the definition of a climatic hazard? Are there different types? What problems do they cause? Let's find out!
Climatic hazards definition
Climatic or climate hazards are one type of natural hazard which affect society. Let's define them.
Climatic hazards are weather-related, hydrometeorological events which can cause harm to humans, property, livelihoods, resources, and the environment. Climatic hazards are also sometimes called extreme weather events.
Climate hazards are the media through which climate-related disasters occur. In other words, they trigger climate-related disasters. In the first decade of the 21st century, it was estimated that climatic hazards were responsible for 75% of all global disasters.
It is essential for you to understand the difference between a hazard and a disaster.
A hazard is a situation or event that can cause adverse effects.
On the other hand, in geography, a disaster refers to what has happened due to a hazard. Hazards are usually sudden and disrupt regular life in the area they impact.
NB: Not all hazards result in disasters!!!
Causes of climate hazards
Changes in atmospheric or oceanic circulation cause climate hazards. They are also caused by significant alterations to ecosystems and also human activities. Nowadays, climate change also plays a significant role in creating climate hazards.
Climate change must not be confused with climate hazards. Climate change refers to long-term changes in the earth's climate and weather patterns due to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide due to human activities.
Types of climate hazards
There are four types of climate hazards about which you will learn. They are:
- Tornadoes
- Droughts
- Tropical storms
- Flooding
Let's examine each of these extreme weather events in more detail.
Tornadoes
Tornadoes are probably the most violent type of storm. They are vertical funnels of rapidly spinning air which extend from a thunderstorm in the sky to the ground. Tornadoes are formed by powerful updraughts and are often associated with hurricanes. They follow a relatively narrow path up to 50 miles/80 km in length. With winds of up to 250 mph/402 km/h, they destroy everything in their way.
Fig. 1 - Tornado in the US
Droughts
Drought hazards are prolonged periods of abnormally low or no rainfall compared to the average rainfall levels in an area. Droughts can last anywhere between a few weeks to years. The figure below shows how severe droughts can be.
Fig. 2 - The severity of the drought in California, US, from 2000-2020
There are three types of droughts:
- Meteorological drought: The amount of the deficit in rainfall and the length of time over which this deficit occurs.
- Hydrological drought: The effect of lower rainfall levels on the surface and sub-surface water supplies, such as reservoir and groundwater levels.
- Agricultural drought: When meteorological and hydrological drought affects agricultural activities due to lower soil moisture levels.
Tropical storms
Tropical storms, also known as typhoons, hurricanes, and cyclones, are areas of significantly low pressure that develop over warm oceanic areas. They form when the air over the warm ocean becomes warm and rises, creating a zone with extremely low pressure. When the rising air reaches very high altitudes, it begins to spin around the low-pressure central area, creating a storm. The central low-pressure area is known as the eye of the storm. To find out more information, read our tropical storms explanation.
Fig. 3 - The eyes of a tropical storm
Climate change is expected to increase the intensity and frequency of tropical storms.
Flooding
A flood is when excess water covers normally dry land. There are two types of flooding about which you should know:
- River flooding: occurs when rivers overflow their banks, and the excess water flows onto the land surrounding the river channel. It is caused by increased precipitation in the river's drainage basin.
- Coastal flooding: occurs when areas of typically dry land along the coast are inundated with seawater. This is a result of tsunamis or higher than average tides. During tropical storms, coastal flooding is caused by storm surges.
Fig. 4 - River flooding in Little Rock, Arkansas, US, in May 2019Climatic hazards geography
Let's look at the areas in which these climate-related hazards occur.
Tornadoes
Tornadoes are extreme weather events that occur in many parts of the world, including Australia, Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and New Zealand. The United States, Argentina and Bangladesh have the highest annual incidents of tornadoes.
Fun Fact:
"Tornado Alley" is the nickname given to an area in the US with a very high occurrence of tornadoes. Broadly speaking, the area is located in North Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Fig. 5 - Location of Tornado Alley in the US
Droughts
While droughts can occur anywhere on earth, the countries with the highest drought risk are Moldova and Ukraine. Other areas with medium to high risk of droughts are the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and other parts of Europe.
Tropical storms
Generally, tropical storms occur between 5-20o north and south of the equator, where the sea temperatures are above 27oC. The highest number of tropical storms occur in the North Pacific Ocean.
Fig. 6 - Distribution of tropical storm tracks across the globe
Flooding
Flooding can occur everywhere in the world where there are rivers that could potentially overflow their banks. Flooding can also be prevalent in coastal areas and areas vulnerable to tropical storms.
Climatic hazards problems
Climate hazards can have many adverse effects and problems on the areas they impact. Some effects are highlighted below:
- Tornadoes: Because tornadoes are so violent, they destroy everything in their path, including buildings and agricultural crops. Tornadoes can lead to loss of life.
- Droughts: When droughts occur, especially over long periods, they can dry up water supplies. This will eventually lead to reduced agricultural production, which in turn can cause famine and malnutrition in populations. Many people also face both internal and external displacement.
- Tropical Storms: Much like flooding, tropical storms result in the damage or destruction of property. Tropical storms can also result in the loss of life and, depending on the damage's extent, can lead to a lack of potable water, destruction of crops and food security issues.
- Flooding: Flooding results in damage or destruction to property. It can also reduce access to potable water and destroy crops. People also die in floods. If floodwaters take an extended time to recede, the standing water can increase the spread of diseases.
Climate change is expected to exacerbate the impacts of extreme weather events.
Examples of climatic hazards
Let's look at some examples of each of the climatic hazards about which you just learnt.
Tornadoes
The US's largest and most expensive tornado outbreak occurred from 25-28 April 2011. During this period, almost 350 tornadoes developed across various states in the US, from Texas in the south to New York in the north. This outbreak caused an estimated USD $12 billion in damages.
Fig. 7 - Damage in Coaling, Alabama, US, as a result of the April 2011 tornado outbreak
Droughts
Somalia has experienced three major drought crises between 2011 - 2022.
- 2011/2012 - 3.7 million persons experienced crisis-level food insecurity, and 260,000 people died as a result. Many were also displaced and moved to neighbouring countries.
- 2016/2017 - 2.9 million people experienced crisis to emergency-level food insecurity.
- 2021/2022 - 4.6 million people are experiencing crisis- to emergency-level food insecurity. This is Somalia's worst drought in 40 years
Fig. 8 - People displaced by the 2011/2012 drought in Somalia are waiting to be registered at a refugee camp in Ethiopia
Tropical Storms
Hurricane Katrina is the costliest storm in US history. It caused extensive damage across Mississippi and Louisiana in the southern United States. The worst damage occurred in New Orleans, where 80% of the city was left underwater in its wake. Katrina caused over 1800 deaths and USD $160 billion in damages. Read our Hurricane Katrina Case Study explanation to learn more about this storm.
Flooding
In 2007, the UK experienced the Hull floods, where over 9,000 homes and businesses were destroyed. The flood affected 35,000 persons and caused £41 million/ USD $49.5 million in damages. One person also lost his life due to the flood.
Fig. 9 -Flooding in Kingston upon Hull, UK, June 2007
Climatic Hazards - Key takeaways
- Climate hazards are one category of natural hazards which can impact society.
- Climate hazards are caused by both natural and human-related factors.
- Tornadoes, drought, tropical storms, and flooding are four types of climate hazards.
- Climate hazards can have significant negative impacts and cause many problems in the areas where they occur.
References
- Fig. 1: Tornado in the US (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Twister_5_-_panoramio.jpg) by Justinetime66451 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Panoramio_upload_bot) Licensed by CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en)
- Fig. 2: The severity of droughts in California 2000-2020 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drought_area_in_California.svg) by Phoenix7777 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Phoenix7777) Licensed by CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)
- Fig. 3: The eyes of tropical storms (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tropical_Cyclone_Eye_collection.png) by Earth100 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Earth100) Licensed by CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)
- Fig. 4: River flooding in Little Rock, Arkansas in May 2019 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arkansas_River_Flooding_at_North_Little_Rock_May_2019.jpg) by Aviciousunicycle (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Aviciousunicycle&action=edit&redlink=1) Licensed by CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en
- Fig. 5: Location of 'Tornado Alley' in the US (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tornado_Alley_Diagram.svg) by Dan Craggs (AtomCrusher) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:AtomCrusher) Licensed by CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)
- Fig. 7: Damage in Coaling, Alabama, US from the April 2011 Tornado outbreak (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coaling,_Alabama_Tornado_Damage_April_27,_2011.jpg) by JohnRatliff (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Jhratliff&action=edit&redlink=1) Licensed by CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)
- Fig. 8: People displaced by the 2011/2012 drought in Somalia waiting to be registered at a refugee camp in Ethiopia (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Queuing_for_registration_in_the_heat_of_the_sun_(5977577531).jpg) by Cate Turton/DFID - UK Department for International Development (https://www.flickr.com/people/14214150@N02) Licensed by CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en)
- Fig. 9: Flooding in Kingston upon Hull, June 2007 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Floods_in_Hull_-25June2007.jpg) by walnut whippet (https://www.flickr.com/photos/88096506@N00) Licensed by CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en)
Explanations 
Exams 
Magazine 
