Lightning strikes on rise for warmer climate: Experts
The climate vagaries caused by global warming are increasing the recurrence of lightning strike in Bangladesh, the sub-continent's most vulnerable country to this natural hazard, experts say.
Several hundred people fall victims to lightning strikes here every year, with about 100 people being killed this April alone, according to newspaper reports.
Bangladesh experiences lightning strikes mainly during pre-monsoon period (March-May), said M Abdul Mannan, a scientist at Saarc Metrological Research Centre (SMRC).
He suggested awareness campaign and stronger warning system for reducing lightning casualties.
Thomas W Schmidlin, a geography professor at Kent State University, US, writes in his article "Risk Factors and Social Vulnerability" that the maximum occurrence of lightning in the Indian subcontinent occurs in Bangladesh in the pre-monsoon period with 40 lightning strikes per square kilometre.
"Over 150 people are killed annually by lightning in Bangladesh, as reported in newspapers, but the actual death toll may be 500-1,000", he said.
Dr Ainun Nishat, a climate expert, said global warming had a strong co-relation with lightning, and it had already intensified lightning strikes mainly in this region.
Bangladesh is witnessing an increase in lightning strikes, as global climate experts think warmer climate increases lighting frequency, he said.
Global lightning activity will increase if average global temperature rises, said Dr Ainun, also vice chancellor of Brac University, quoting a report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Amanat Ullah Khan, a geography professor at Dhaka University, however, said the frequency of lightning apparently increased in recent times in Bangladesh, but there was no study to find its reasons. It is still not clear if lightning is increasing due to climate change, he added.
A growing number of international experts believe that increase in lightning frequency was strongly co-related with climate change.
Colin Price and David Rind, two researchers of Nasa Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) and Columbia University, claim in their article "Possible Implications of Global Climate Change on Global Lightning" that future climate change could have significant repercussions on two related natural hazards: lightning and forest fires.
They mentioned a GISS model, which shows that for an atmosphere containing twice today's carbon concentration, the global lightning activity increases by approximately 32 percent.
Lightning discharge in thunderstorms is an indication of intensity of atmospheric convection, says Colin Price, a professor of geophysics and planetary science at Tel Aviv University, in his article "Thunderstorms, Lightning and Climate Change".
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments