This weekend Canary Islands were swamped (literally) after a tropical storm ermine. In some areas, such as La Palma, they have fallen. 350 liters per square meter, which is ten times more rainfall than usual in September in the archipelago. No doubt it was an unconventional phenomenon, but how exceptional is it?
Notably, storms like Hermine form from something known as an East African wave. atmospheric disturbance which originates in tropical North Africa and spreads westward during the summer and autumn months. Therefore, it is quite possible that this will happen in the Canary Islands. And it is, but it is not common, as they tend to travel much further west.
Can we say that this is a consequence changing of the climate? To give a correct answer, it is necessary to study the phenomenon in depth. But what we can be sure of is that global warming will encourage other similar phenomena in places where they are not common. Hermine might just be an appetizer to what we’re about to see in Spain both in the Canary and Balearic Islands and on the peninsula.
How was Hermina formed?
Ermina was originally a tropical cyclone, which, as we have seen, was formed from the East African wave. As explained hypertext physicist and meteorologist time.es Irene Santathese disturbances are areas of low pressure that are being pushed westward trade winds.
As they move, they absorb energy, which increases how water is heated. If they become powerful enough, they form so-called hurricanes. Hence, here we would have a tangible impact of climate change. If the sea water warms up, tropical cyclones they will have more fuel to create hurricanes. It is more common in places like Caribbean Sea or US East Coastnot so much in the Canaries.
In fact, Hermine did not become a hurricane. He did not even come close to the islands as a tropical cyclone, eventually turning into tropical storm. And he, too, did not have time to enter the ground, but remained a little further.
But even with these two extenuating circumstances, it can be said that this was a completely infrequent event. And this is what since 2005 when delta storm devastated the Canary Islands, leaving behind 7 dead and 12 missing, nothing like this has ever happened there.
At what time of the year do these events occur?
Phenomena like Hermine are not common in places like the Canary Islands. But they are common these days. In fact, according to Santa, tropical cyclones usually occur during summer and autumn, with the maximum point located just between the two stations. “The hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, but the most active months are usually September and October. around September 10“.
Has the Canary Islands experienced the effects of climate change?
Meteorologist Mr. time.es emphasizes that it is impossible to know whether the phenomenon is related to changing of the climate until you have thoroughly studied it.
In fact, shower The Canary Islands, which even had fatal victims, have an explanation. It’s something known as previous rain event (PRE for its English abbreviation) that occurs when a tropical cyclone interacts with a jet stream. That is, with a relatively intense air flow, with a vertical and horizontal wind direction.
They usually occur north of where the cyclone formed, and this is what happened in the Canary Islands, making this occurrence rare, but not exceptional or unexplained.
Climate change outside of Hermine
Hermine may not have been consequence of climate change. At least we can’t know for sure. But we do know that ocean temperatures are getting warmer, so these events will have enough fuel to propagate.
In addition, if hot waters are warmer, then those that previously did not have sufficient temperature for this type of phenomenon become warmer. more and more suited to it.. Because of this, we may start to see him in increasingly strange places.
Even in the Mediterranean, they may become more common. medicines. “These phenomena have certain tropical characteristics, although they are smaller in size,” explains Irene Santa. “They usually occur during the autumn months, and let’s remember that the Mediterranean is warming up. 20% more than the world average according to its characteristics.
In short, phenomena like Hermine may not become more frequent, but they more intense. And, above all, we may begin to see them in places we are not used to. The worst thing about this is that being unaccustomed to it is synonymous with being unprepared, and, unfortunately, lately we have seen too often the disastrous consequences of not being prepared for the challenges of nature.
Source: Hiper Textual
