Thunder, hail, fire: what does climate change mean for the US?
(SciAm) The regional effects range from more wildfires in the west to stronger storms in the east.
The US heartland can look forward to hotter, wetter summers, according to the latest climate research.
Global warming will cause more severe thunderstorms-convective cloud fronts that could produce wind gusts of 58 miles (93 kilometers) per hour, 0.75-inch (1.9-centimeter) size hailstones and even more frequent tornadoes-in the region, according to research led by atmospheric scientist Robert Trapp at Purdue University.
At the same time, according to independent environmental consultant Kristie Ebi, heat waves like the one in Chicago that killed 700 people in 1995 will become more commonplace.
"Climate change is projected to increase the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves in the Midwest," says Ebi, an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report author. "In addition, heat waves are projected to be hotter."
