Chris Ewokor

Yeah, Hurricane Helene was a really interesting storm. It underwent rapid intensification. That's where the winds pick up by 35 miles an hour in 24 hours. Now, this one was even stronger than that. It hits the Big Bend region of Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane. 140 mile an hour winds, the strongest ever to hit this part of the United States.

Now, that caused problems, but I think the biggest problems from Hurricane Helene actually came as it moved inland. It weakened significantly into a normal area of low pressure. And you might think, well, that's it. That's the problem's gone away. But it wasn't. If you consider... that water hazards are responsible for 86% of fatalities in such tropical systems.

Now, that caused problems, but I think the biggest problems from Hurricane Helene actually came as it moved inland. It weakened significantly into a normal area of low pressure. And you might think, well, that's it. That's the problem's gone away. But it wasn't. If you consider... that water hazards are responsible for 86% of fatalities in such tropical systems.

Now, that caused problems, but I think the biggest problems from Hurricane Helene actually came as it moved inland. It weakened significantly into a normal area of low pressure. And you might think, well, that's it. That's the problem's gone away. But it wasn't. If you consider... that water hazards are responsible for 86% of fatalities in such tropical systems.

Well, it's the water that's the far bigger hazard, and this area of low pressure became slow-moving in Tennessee, and it brought enormous falls of rain in the mountains of North Carolina. We recorded 30.78 inches of rain, 780 millimetres of rain. And that led to catastrophic flooding.

Well, it's the water that's the far bigger hazard, and this area of low pressure became slow-moving in Tennessee, and it brought enormous falls of rain in the mountains of North Carolina. We recorded 30.78 inches of rain, 780 millimetres of rain. And that led to catastrophic flooding.

Well, it's the water that's the far bigger hazard, and this area of low pressure became slow-moving in Tennessee, and it brought enormous falls of rain in the mountains of North Carolina. We recorded 30.78 inches of rain, 780 millimetres of rain. And that led to catastrophic flooding.

And Hurricane Helene became the deadliest hurricane to reach the mainland United States since Hurricane Katrina way back in 2005.

And Hurricane Helene became the deadliest hurricane to reach the mainland United States since Hurricane Katrina way back in 2005.

And Hurricane Helene became the deadliest hurricane to reach the mainland United States since Hurricane Katrina way back in 2005.

Yeah, well, this one's interesting because it's partly driven by climate change, partly driven by natural events. So as we heard a moment ago, droughts become more frequent in a warming world. And that's the background that we're in in our current climate. Temperatures globally are about 1.3 degrees Celsius higher than they were during the pre-industrial period. So that makes droughts more likely.

Yeah, well, this one's interesting because it's partly driven by climate change, partly driven by natural events. So as we heard a moment ago, droughts become more frequent in a warming world. And that's the background that we're in in our current climate. Temperatures globally are about 1.3 degrees Celsius higher than they were during the pre-industrial period. So that makes droughts more likely.

Yeah, well, this one's interesting because it's partly driven by climate change, partly driven by natural events. So as we heard a moment ago, droughts become more frequent in a warming world. And that's the background that we're in in our current climate. Temperatures globally are about 1.3 degrees Celsius higher than they were during the pre-industrial period. So that makes droughts more likely.

Coupled with that, we've got a natural phenomenon going on, El Nino. Now, in 2003-2004, we had an El Nino pattern that also reduces rainfall, so it was the combined effect here that caused the severe drought, with quite a few rivers in the Amazon basin actually reaching their lowest level on record last year.

Coupled with that, we've got a natural phenomenon going on, El Nino. Now, in 2003-2004, we had an El Nino pattern that also reduces rainfall, so it was the combined effect here that caused the severe drought, with quite a few rivers in the Amazon basin actually reaching their lowest level on record last year.

Coupled with that, we've got a natural phenomenon going on, El Nino. Now, in 2003-2004, we had an El Nino pattern that also reduces rainfall, so it was the combined effect here that caused the severe drought, with quite a few rivers in the Amazon basin actually reaching their lowest level on record last year.

I have to say, things are slowly improving now, because we are going into the rainy season, and we're starting to see the drought ease in parts of Brazil, which I suppose is good news. But, yeah... Climate change does increase the risk of such droughts.

I have to say, things are slowly improving now, because we are going into the rainy season, and we're starting to see the drought ease in parts of Brazil, which I suppose is good news. But, yeah... Climate change does increase the risk of such droughts.

I have to say, things are slowly improving now, because we are going into the rainy season, and we're starting to see the drought ease in parts of Brazil, which I suppose is good news. But, yeah... Climate change does increase the risk of such droughts.

Yeah, there are questions, I suppose, that still remain about the floods that hit Valencia. I mean, there was a huge amount of rainfall in just eight hours, about a year's worth of rainfall, 491 millimetres of rain, and that led to some catastrophic flooding. I've been looking back, though, at the performance of the local weather authorities, AMET. They're the Spanish forecasting authorities.