El Niño News

Just 2% of China’s July Floods Covered by Insurance, vs. Nearly 70% in U.S.: Aon

China’s seasonal “Mei-Yu” rainfall in July led to the worst flooding since 1998, bringing total combined economic losses of an estimated US$33 billion, according to a report published by Impact Forecasting, Aon Benfield’s catastrophe model development team. Affecting the Yangtze …

Storms & Earthquakes Drive Up Insured Losses in 1H 2016: Munich Re

Economic losses caused by natural catastrophes in the first half of 2016 totaled US$70 billion, a significant increase from the $59 billion reported for the first half of last year, according to a loss review issued by Munich Re. While …

Will 2016 See More Atlantic Hurricanes? Scientists Disagree

This summer and fall, the Atlantic Ocean might become a testing ground for competing scientific theories. After decades of warmth, there’s evidence that the ocean is cooling, a change that could mean fewer of the hurricanes that wreak havoc on …

Climate Records Keep Shattering with Hottest April in 12th Record-Setting Month

The number of climate records broken in the last few years is stunning. But here’s a new measure of misery: Not only did we just experience the hottest April in 137 years of record keeping, but it was the 12th …

Australia Nears Record for Fewest Cyclones Since 1970 – Thanks to El Niño

El Niño is getting some of the credit as Australia nears a record for the fewest tropical cyclones since 1970. “With the end of the season approaching and only three cyclones so far, the 2015-16 Australian region tropical cyclone season …

FACTBOX: Meteorologists Predict 2016 Hurricane Season Will Be More Active

Early forecasts from meteorologists suggest the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season will be more active than normal, partly because of the expected end of the El Niño weather pattern in the next few months. Weather forecasters have linked the El Niño …

2015 Global Insured Losses Lowest Since 2009 Despite El Niño Effects: Carpenter

One of the strongest El Niño periods on record and a positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation were the climate drivers in 2015 that led to an exceptional season of Pacific tropical storms and severe windstorms and flooding in …

El Niño Wreaks Havoc in February with Fiji Cyclone, Floods & Drought: Aon Report

The Southern Hemisphere registered its strongest tropical cyclone on record during February with Tropical Cyclone Winston, according to Impact Forecasting, Aon Benfield’s catastrophe model development team. With maximum sustained winds of 295 kph (185 mph), Tropical Cyclone Winston made landfall …

Scientist Closer to Making Climate Modeling More Accurate

A University of Wisconsin professor believes she’s come up with a way to remove some of the uncertainty in modeling, and she thinks her findings will help scientists and modelers more accurately take into account the impacts of climate change. …

Record Number of Flood Policies Bought by Californians, FEMA Says

Federal emergency officials reported Tuesday a surge in the number of California residents who have purchased flood insurance, most likely in response to a rainy El Niño winter. Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency said insurers have written more …