Violent hurricanes in Gulf Coast offer a tate of things to come as WMO warns of “more hurricanes of categories 4 and 5” this season
As the Gulf Coast of the United States left assessing the massive damage left by hurricane Laura , scientist predict that the strongest storm tied to hit the state of Louisiana since 1856 was just the beginning of more hurricanes to be expected during this season.
“It was a big storm, it generated more accumulated cyclone energy -- which is how we measure these things -- than all the other named storms during August so far,” said Clare Nullis, spokesperson for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in reference to hurricane Laura. Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Ms. Nullis added that “it’s the seventh named storm to landfall in the United States this season. The others were relatively minor. And it’s obviously by far the most intense and dangerous hurricane so far this season”.
Quoting the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Ms. Nullis said that “the global proportion of tropical cyclones that reach very intense category 4 and 5 levels will likely increase due to anthropogenic [reasons], so that’s human caused, over the next century”. Hurricane Laura intensified within 24 hours from a category 1 to a category 4 hurricane, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.
The accurate forecasts seem to have kept the death toll to a minimum, with some 20 people killed by the hurricane, mainly in the Dominican Republic and Haiti before Laura developed into a hurricane and hit Louisiana.
Precautions will remain crucial as “we still have a long way to go with climatology saying that we have about 70 percent of strong activity in the season still left,” according to the WMO spokesperson. The hurricane season also started earlier this year than is usual.
Global warming provides one reason for expecting more destructive ad powerful storms more frequently, according to Ms. Nullis. It is “basically the laws of physics,” she said. “Storms feed on warm water, higher water temperatures mean higher sea levels which in turn increases the risk of flooding during high tights and so the circle goes on. Warm air holds more atmospheric water which enables tropical storms to strengthen and unleash more heavy rainfall,” she explained.
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Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Israeli military operations in Lebanon continue to kill and injure civilians, and destroy civilian infrastructure, raising concerns regarding the protection of civilians, the UN Human Rights Office warned today.
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Edited News | IOM , UNWOMEN , UNDP
Sudan: Aid teams report massive displacement after latest Darfur atrocity; women’s bodies ‘turned into battlegrounds’
In Sudan’s North Darfur, tens of thousands of people have fled a displacement camp following the massacre of civilians and aid workers as the country enters the third year of a conflict marked by horrific levels of sexual violence, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
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Edited News | ITC
Global trade could shrink by three per cent as a result of the United States’ new tariff measures which in the longer term could reshape and boost as-yet untapped regional commercial links, a top UN economist confirmed on Friday.
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Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Warring parties in Sudan are overseeing a wholesale assault on human rights amid global inaction, the UN Human Rights Office said on Friday, as the conflict is about to enter its third year.
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Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office on Friday said Israel’s increasing issuance of so-called “evacuation orders” for Palestinians in Gaza have resulted in their forcible transfer.
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Edited News | OCHA , OHCHR , UNHCR , UNWOMEN , WFP , WHO
Two years of war in Sudan have created epic suffering, aid agencies say
Two years since Sudan’s brutal conflict began, UN agencies warned that famine is spreading and civilians of all ages continue to suffer shocking abuse, including rape and gang rape.
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Edited News | UNMAS
In Gaza, ongoing Israeli military operations and the aid blockade have continued to add to daily fears and hardships confronting those in the devastated enclave, the UN Mine Action Service, UNMAS, said on Wednesday.
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Edited News | UNDP
Dangers grow for Myanmar earthquake survivors, health system 'overwhelmed' - UNDP
In earthquake-shattered central Myanmar people are sleeping in the streets in fear of buildings collapsing, facing early monsoon rains and the risk of waterborne diseases, the UN Development Programme warned on Tuesday.
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Edited News | ICRC , OHCHR , UNHCR
Myanmar’s military has continued to launch airstrikes and other attacks against opposition forces in the devastated country, one week since a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck and despite announcing a ceasefire, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Friday.
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Edited News | OHCHR
UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif on Tuesday presented a report on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, detailing the continued violations of human rights as a result of the offensive launched by the Rwandan-backed M23 in eastern DRC.
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Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , IFRC
UN humanitarians and partners on Tuesday expressed deep shock at the killing of 15 colleagues on duty in southern Gaza whose remains were recovered from a shallow grave after a week-long rescue operation, noting that one worker is still missing.
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Edited News | UNICEF , OCHA , WHO , UNHCR
Myanmar earthquake latest: window for lifesaving support is closing, say UN humanitarians
As the death toll continues to rise in earthquake-struck Myanmar, UN humanitarians have been rushing to support severely deprived and traumatized victims, warning that the window for lifesaving response is closing.