Statements you can make about climate change and extreme weather events

The document outlines how human-caused climate change affects different weather phenomena. It states that extreme heat, marine heat waves, and the intensity of heavy rain and hurricanes are increasing, while extreme cold is becoming less likely. It notes that while climate change increases hot, dry conditions contributing to droughts and wildfires, other factors like land use also play a role. For localized severe storms, the document explains that current climate models cannot yet accurately simulate specific events to make direct attribution statements.

• Human-caused climate change has increased the frequency, intensity, and danger of heat waves and unseasonably warm temperatures globally.
• Global warming has made instances of extreme cold less likely and less intense worldwide.
• Warming oceans are driving more frequent, longer, and stronger marine heat waves, as well as an increase in the number of hurricanes reaching the most severe categories, although the total number of tropical cyclones per year remains unchanged.
• Climate change increases the likelihood and intensity of heavy rainfall and the hot, dry conditions that exacerbate droughts and wildfires, though flooding and wildfires are also significantly influenced by topography, land use, and fuel availability.
• While general trends suggest an increase in the intensity and frequency of some severe storm hazards like hail and tornado outbreaks, scientists cannot currently make direct attribution statements about the role of climate change in isolated severe storms due to limited historical records and model resolution.

APA

Climate Central (2025). Statements you can make about climate change and extreme weather events. https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/6kWt0rKqAsA2fReNL0VfEW/96f935ebd05921cc514cbf37570b774c/2025AttributionBasics_FullTable_en_title_lg.pdf

Chicago

Climate Central. Statements you can make about climate change and extreme weather events. 2025. https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/6kWt0rKqAsA2fReNL0VfEW/96f935ebd05921cc514cbf37570b774c/2025AttributionBasics_FullTable_en_title_lg.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Statements you can make about climate change and extreme weather events |date=December 2025 |url=https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/6kWt0rKqAsA2fReNL0VfEW/96f935ebd05921cc514cbf37570b774c/2025AttributionBasics_FullTable_en_title_lg.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2025statements, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Statements you can make about climate change and extreme weather events}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/6kWt0rKqAsA2fReNL0VfEW/96f935ebd05921cc514cbf37570b774c/2025AttributionBasics_FullTable_en_title_lg.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }