{"id":4137,"date":"2015-01-21T08:01:51","date_gmt":"2015-01-21T16:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/insider\/?p=4137"},"modified":"2015-01-21T08:01:51","modified_gmt":"2015-01-21T16:01:51","slug":"what-is-up-with-the-weather","status":"publish","type":"insider","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/insider\/what-is-up-with-the-weather","title":{"rendered":"What is up with the Weather?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Climate change is here, and geospatial tools are already helping us adapt to the \u201cnew normal.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>
\nIt is hard to believe that as the Polar Vortex<\/a> returns to North America bringing snow and subzero temperatures, meteorological offices in the UK, Australia, and other countries around the world announced that 2014 was the hottest year on record<\/a>. Records dating back to 1659 tell us that eight of the UK’s top ten warmest years have occurred since 2002.
\nSoaring temperatures and high winds in Australia last year fueled some of the worst bushfires in more than 30 years. According to a recent report<\/a> by Climate Council<\/a>, a climate change research group based in Australia, changing weather, a growing population, and the proximity of vulnerable assets in bushfire-prone areas have increased the risks to lives and property. The cost of these bushfires is estimated to run into hundreds of millions of dollars each year. It is expected that Australia needs to double the number of firefighters by 2030 to cope with this threat.
\nIronically, record warm weather like Australia\u2019s dry spells and drought in California<\/a> are mirrored with increasingly severe wet weather, including cyclones, in the Pacific and Atlantic hurricanes.
\nThis New Year, tropical storm Jangmi<\/a> led to flooding and landslides in the Philippines, and more than 50 people lost their lives. Jangmi comes fast on the heels of Malaysia\u2019s worst flooding in decades, which killed 21 people and destroyed 200,000 homes.
\nIt seems that lately, weather is getting more extreme.
\nEven naysayers like Australia\u2019s Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who once described the science behind human-induced climate change as \u201cabsolute crap,\u201d are altering their opinions.
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\nThe New Normal<\/strong>
\nAs climate change brings instability to short-term weather patterns, weather events are becoming more severe. This is challenging our understanding and ability to respond. Given this \u201cnew normal,\u201d how can we best protect lives and better prepare for future events?
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Visualizing models with apps based on ArcGIS, like WSN\u2019s XtremeGIS, give risk managers a better idea of what may happen during and after a storm.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMany reports make recommendations on how countries and communities can become more resilient to extreme events. Important decisions about adaptation and risk reduction need to be made at all levels: global, national, and local. To do this we need an information framework that can provide consistent, aligned information for better understanding. Concepts like geodesign<\/a>\u2014designing with nature in mind\u2014are already in place to help forge consensus and negotiate the path to implementing action.
\nGIS<\/a> and spatial analytics<\/a> can help. GIS is the most powerful and intuitive tool for making reasonable, informed and congruent decisions that balance the needs of all individuals and actors from the wealthiest nations to the poorest that are most likely impacted as booming populations flock to coastal cities.
\nAt its core, Esri\u2019s ArcGIS platform<\/a> helps people to discover, make, use, and share geographic knowledge with anyone, anywhere, on any device. It provides sophisticated, highly accurate and scientifically robust tools with which to precisely quantify and categorize risk, yet intuitive and easy-to-author templates<\/a> to communicate and inform.
\nIf we are to protect our lives and livelihoods, our infrastructure and financial assets, we need a tool like this to test, compare, and evaluate all available options. ArcGIS can help to:<\/p>\n