The year 2013 was really full of weather deviations from the usual, when we saw some of the record high temperatures and low temperatures, droughts, floods, and so on. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weighed in on this phenomenon on Wednesday with a list that shows 2013’s Significant Climate Anomalies and Events. 2013’s Significant Climate Anomalies And Events. The report has also put certain weather occurrences into historical perspective, suggesting that the rise in global temperatures is giving rise to such extreme weather events. For example, NOAA has ranked 2013 as the fourth warmest year on record since 1980. Here are some of the most significant weather events of 2013 as appears on the NOAA report
1.Drought conditions get worse in the far West America
California faced its driest drought last year while Oregon has reported its fourth driest year on record. Despite the improvements in the central and south east regions of the United States, the conditions in the American West continue to get worse. California being one of the largest agricultural states in America, the consequence of drought can be devastating, and there seems to be no relief soon from drought in the near future according to National Drought Mitigation Center located at the University of Nebraska.
2. Tropical cyclone Haiyan hit land with record strength
Haiyan, hitting the Philippines in 2013 has been one of the strongest one in history with 190 miles per hour winds and have been reported to have killed 5,700 people in the Philippines. United Nations have estimated that 11 million people have been affected by the tropical cyclone.
3. Recorded highest temperature in Australia
An average rise of 2.16 degree Fahrenheit was recorded nationwide in Australia in the year of 2013. In the past, Australia was being plagued with severe Millennium Droughts for the past decade, which had spread all over the country. It was note worthy because every state in Australia was observing an average rise in temperature, which also caused several wild fires sweeping through the New South Wales, destroying some 200 properties.
4 Heavy rain in China and Russia
China saw one of its heaviest rains falls in 100s of years. It has been reported that the rainfall in one of the towns in china in a day was almost half of its annual rainfall. Russia had the worse flood and precipitation in 140 cities 120 years in 2013. According to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report there will be more spots around the world that will experience similar bursts around the world throughout the next century.
5 Coldest spring in the United Kingdom since 1962
Record amounts of snow fall have been observed in the northern regions of United Kingdom in late march of 2013. This can be traced back to the severe 2012 European cold wave resulting hundreds of people to freeze to death in the United Kingdom.
6 Arctic and Antarctic sea ice melted more than usual
The Antarctic reached its second smallest sea ice extent in the year 2013, and the Arctic reached its six smallest sea ice extent on record during this melting season. The sea ice extent was still pretty small during the growth season, a record of sixth smallest point since it has been 1997 when the record keeping began. Meanwhile, the Antarctic reached its record largest in the year 2013 in its growth season. That should come as a little surprise to those who felt the Arctic chills this year.
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