Are Recent Extreme Weather Events, Like the Large Number of Atlantic Hurricanes in 1995, Due to Global Warming
As the world warms, some extreme climate events, like the frequency of heat waves and very heavy precipitation, are expected to increase, but it remains uncertain whether or not to expect changes in the frequency of some other extremes. Moreover, it is important to note that it is not possible to link any particular weather or climate event definitively to global warming. The causal linkage, if any, between the frequency of extreme events and global warming only can be determined through statistical analyses of long- term data, because the natural climate system can produce weather and climate events that often appear to be uncharacteristic of the recent climate. Data on climate extremes in many regions of the world are inadequate to draw definitive conclusions about possible changes that may have occurred on a global scale. However, in some regions where good data are available, there have been some significant increases and decreases in extreme events over time. For example, there ha
