Cómo informar sobre fenómenos meteorológicos extremos y cambio climático

The document explains the methodology of 'extreme event attribution' to help journalists avoid common errors, such as ignoring climate change or attributing an event to it as a sole cause. It details how scientists use climate models to compare the modern world with a pre-industrial one to determine if an event was more likely or intense due to global warming. The guide provides specific scientific consensus and limitations for heatwaves, floods, tropical cyclones, heavy snowfall, droughts, and wildfires, emphasizing that while some connections are robust (e.g., heatwaves), others are more complex and depend on regional data and human vulnerability.

• Journalists frequently make three errors when reporting on extreme weather: ignoring climate change as a cause, attributing an event to climate change without evidence, or presenting climate change as the sole cause.
• Event attribution science does not treat climate change as a binary 'cause' but as a factor that influences the probability and intensity of a weather event.
• The connection between global warming and more frequent and intense heatwaves is considered very strong worldwide; a 1ºC increase in global temperature can make heatwaves 1ºC hotter or more.
• Extreme rainfall is more common and intense globally due to the 'Clausius-Clapeyron' relationship, where warmer air holds more moisture (approximately 7% more per 1ºC).
• While the total number of tropical cyclones annually has not changed globally, climate change has increased the frequency of more intense and destructive storms (Categories 3-5) and increased rainfall and storm surges.
• The impact of climate change on droughts is complex and varies by region; it is most evident in areas becoming more arid, such as the Mediterranean, southern Africa, and western North America.
• The 'fire weather'—a combination of heat, drought, and strong wind—is increasing on all continents, with clear attribution in southern Europe, northern Eurasia, the United States, and Australia.
• Every instance of extreme cold globally has become less probable and less intense due to climate change, although heavy snowfall patterns remain uncertain in many regions.

APA

Clarke, B., & Otto, F. (n.d.). Cómo informar sobre fenómenos meteorológicos extremos y cambio climático. World Weather Attribution. https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/wp-content/uploads/ESP_WWA-Como-informar-sobre-eventos-meteorológicos-extremos-y-cambio-climático.pdf

Chicago

Clarke, Ben, and Friederike Otto. Cómo informar sobre fenómenos meteorológicos extremos y cambio climático. World Weather Attribution, n.d. https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/wp-content/uploads/ESP_WWA-Como-informar-sobre-eventos-meteorológicos-extremos-y-cambio-climático.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Clarke |first1=Ben |last2=Otto |first2=Friederike |title=Cómo informar sobre fenómenos meteorológicos extremos y cambio climático |publisher=World Weather Attribution |url=https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/wp-content/uploads/ESP_WWA-Como-informar-sobre-eventos-meteorológicos-extremos-y-cambio-climático.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clarkendcmo, author = {Clarke, Ben and Otto, Friederike}, title = {{Cómo informar sobre fenómenos meteorológicos extremos y cambio climático}}, institution = {World Weather Attribution}, url = {https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/wp-content/uploads/ESP_WWA-Como-informar-sobre-eventos-meteorológicos-extremos-y-cambio-climático.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }