An Introduction to Trends in Extreme Weather and Climate Events: Observations, Socioeconomic Impacts, Terrestrial Ecological Impacts, and Model Projections^*

TLDR

Weather and climatic extremes can severely damage human society, infrastructure, ecosystems, and wildlife, and they are frequently highlighted by the news media. Climate models illustrate how extremes may shift in the future due to natural variability or greenhouse‑gas warming, linking these changes to socioeconomic and ecological impacts. Observations suggest that climatic extremes may have changed in the past.

Abstract

Weather and climatic extremes can have serious and damaging effects on human society and infrastructure as well as on ecosystems and wildlife. Thus, they are usually the main focus of attention of the news media in reports on climate. There are some indications from observations concerning how climatic extremes may have changed in the past. Climate models show how they could change in the future either due to natural climate fluctuations or under conditions of greenhouse gas-induced warming. These observed and modeled changes relate directly to the understanding of socioeconomic and ecological impacts related to extremes.