How much heat, flooding, drought and storms increase as a result of human-induced climate change can be calculated, according to a study by Gottfried Kirchengast and his team at the University of Graz. It can compute all relevant hazard metrics in any region worldwide. The researchers found that anthropogenic climate change has caused a tenfold increase in extreme heat in recent decades.

The study, published in the journal ‘Weather and Climate Extremes’, also provides a basis for better quantifying the damage to people, ecosystems and infrastructure.

The research surfaces a general mathematical solution and those responsible, together with Stephanie Haas and Jürgen Fuchsberger from the Wegener Center, implemented the method as a widely applicable computation tool. It can serve a wide variety of purposes – from providing comprehensive hazard data on weather extremes for climate impact analyses to supporting attribution of the extent to which emission-intensive actors such as states or companies are responsible for the increasing climate damages and risks.