Indian Ocean warming rapidly, expect more extreme weather

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 9

The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change today confirmed fears that the Indian Ocean was warming at a rate higher than other oceans.

According to the authors of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), “Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis”, the warming of the ocean will lead to a rise in sea levels, resulting in more frequent and severe coastal flooding in low-level areas.

Heatwaves and humid heat stress will also be more intense and frequent in the 21st century over South Asia, states the report, sounding a dire warning for the entire world.

“Even if we limit temperatures to 1.5° Celsius from pre-industrial levels, we will continue to see extreme weather events,” said Dr Friederike Otto, one of the authors. “We will also see an increase in heatwaves, heavy rainfall events, and the further melting of glaciers, which will impact a country like India,” said Otto.