What’s behind world’s recent extreme weather events?

From heavy monsoon rains and floods in India, Nepal and Bangladesh to a landslide in Sierra Leone that killed 1,000 people, the past few weeks have seen catastrophic weather events around the world.

And last week, Hurricane Harvey dumped almost a year’s worth of rainfall in the US city of Houston, destroying homes and causing billions of dollars in damage.

Now, for the first time in seven years, the Atlantic basin is facing three hurricanes at the same time.

Hurricane Irma has already caused widespread devastation across the Caribbean. The US state of Florida is poised for a direct hit.

Hurricane Jose is following Irma and the Caribbean islands are imperilled once again, while Mexico is preparing for the impact of Hurricane Katia.

Is climate change to blame for these extreme weather events?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests:

Nigel Arnell – professor of meteorology at the University of Reading

Jennifer Francis – professor at Rutgers University’s Institute for Coastal and Marine Science

Leon Sealey-Huggins – lecturer in global sustainable development at the University of Warwick