Misinformation Alert: Extreme Weather

The document analyzes the discourse surrounding Storm Eunice and the 2022 heatwave in the UK, noting that while the heatwave drove higher climate-related engagement and polling spikes, 'Persuadable' audiences often responded with denial or dispassion. It suggests that climate NGOs avoid direct climate narratives during peak heat events, instead focusing on safety advice and emotional support, before introducing scientific facts and long-form content once the weather subsides.

• The 2022 heatwave generated significantly more climate-related discussion on social media than Storm Eunice, despite the storm having higher Google search volumes. Mentions of 'climate' on Twitter were nearly 17 times higher during the heatwave's three-day peak, and polling showed a 10% increase in people identifying the environment as a top national issue in the following week, a larger jump than seen during COP26.
• 'Persuadable' audiences on Twitter and Facebook exhibited high levels of denial and dispassion during the heatwave. Common responses included attributing wildfires to people rather than temperature, arguing that other countries like Australia or Spain fare worse, claiming the weather is temporary, or viewing a 1.5-degree increase as pleasant.
• Several factors hinder climate narratives among Persuadables: the lack of association between 'global warming' and events like floods or storms, a misunderstanding of '1.5 degrees of warming' as a general mild increase, emotional exhaustion from prolonged weather warnings, and the rise of 'green tyranny' frames that link climate action to loss of money, jobs, or freedom.
• To effectively reach Persuadables, the document recommends avoiding direct climate talk during heatwaves and instead using narratives focused on safety advice, thanking local service workers, and providing emotional support. Scientific facts and long-form content, such as interactive quizzes or videos, should be deployed after the event has subsided.

APA

Lujani, F. (2022). Misinformation Alert: Extreme Weather. ACT Climate Labs. https://www.actclimatelabs.org/misinformation-alert-commu/

Chicago

Lujani, Florencia. Misinformation Alert: Extreme Weather. ACT Climate Labs, 2022. https://www.actclimatelabs.org/misinformation-alert-commu/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lujani |first1=Florencia |title=Misinformation Alert: Extreme Weather |publisher=ACT Climate Labs |date=11 August 2022 |url=https://www.actclimatelabs.org/misinformation-alert-commu/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lujani2022misinformation, author = {Lujani, Florencia}, title = {{Misinformation Alert: Extreme Weather}}, institution = {ACT Climate Labs}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://www.actclimatelabs.org/misinformation-alert-commu/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }