The fast-growing field began two decades ago and is now firmly established, but it is still sometimes hampered by a lack of data
This aerial photo shows buildings submerged in floodwaters due to a swollen river caused by heavy rains from Super Typhoon Man-yi in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan province on November 19, 2024. Photography John Dimain / AFP©
Extreme weather is becoming more destructive as the world warms, but how can we say that climate change intensified the fires in Los Angeles, typhoons in the Philippines, or flooding in Spain?
That question was once difficult question to answer. But thanks to the pioneering field of attribution science, experts can quickly examine the possible influence of global warming on a specific weather event.
The fast-growing field began two decades ago and is now firmly established, but it is still sometimes hampered by a lack of data.
"It's important for citizens, for decision-makers, and it's also very important for scientists, because with each case study, we learn new things about our models, our observations and the problems we encounter with them," said Robert Vautard, a leading scientist with the UN's climate expert panel, who has supported the development of attribution studies.