Global warming may have contributed to the unusual storm that caused a British-flagged luxury yacht to sink off the coast of Sicily on Monday (19), Italian climatologist Luca Mercalli told Reuters.
One man has died and six people are missing, including English tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, after the 56-metre boat “Bayesian” was suddenly hit by fierce weather.
Mercalli, president of the Italian meteorological society, said the episode could have been a waterspout, essentially a tornado over water, or a more common downburst.
“We don’t know which event it was because it all happened in the dark, early in the morning, so we don’t have any photographs,” he said.
In Italy, a waterspout can have winds of up to 200 km per hour, while downbursts can produce winds of 150 km per hour.
Statistics show that downbursts are becoming more frequent in the country, which Mercalli believes could be linked to global warming.
Storms and heavy rain have hit Italy in recent days after weeks of intense heat.
“The sea surface temperature in Sicily was around 30 degrees Celsius, almost three degrees above normal. This creates a huge source of energy that contributes to these storms,” Mercalli said.
More than 47,000 people will die in Europe in 2023 due to heat
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
