How Extreme Weather Events Are Changing Over Time

Climate Change's Impact on Extreme Weather

Climate change is affecting the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events.

These events include:

• Tornadoes
• Heat waves
• Deep freezes

How Scientists Study Extreme Weather Events

Scientists use a combination of climate models, simulations, and observations to research how extreme weather events change over time.

These observations come from:

• Land
• Air
• Sea
• Space

Extreme Weather and Climate

Extreme weather events are shorter incidents than climate.

Climate change affects global temperature and precipitation patterns.

These effects in turn influence the intensity and in some cases the frequency of extreme weather.

Defining Extreme Weather

Extreme weather includes:

• Unexpected
• Unusual
• Severe
• Unseasonal weather

Extreme Weather and Natural/Human Causes

Scientists assess whether individual extreme weather events can be attributed to climate change by considering both natural and human causes.