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Berlin, Jan 10 (AP): Injury wrought by Hurricane Ida within the US state of Louisiana and the flash floods that hit Europe final summer season helped make 2021 one of the crucial costly years for pure disasters, reinsurance firm Munich Re stated Monday.
The corporate’s annual report put the general financial losses from pure disasters worldwide final yr at $280 billion, making it the fourth-costliest after 2011, the yr a large earthquake and tsunami struck Japan.
Insured losses in 2021 amounted to $120 billion, the second-highest after 2017, when hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria hit the Americas, in accordance with Munich Re.
Greater than a 3rd of these insured losses final yr had been brought on by Ida ($36 billion) and the July floods in Europe ($13 billion).
Nearly 10,000 died on account of a pure catastrophe in 2021, similar to the demise toll in recent times, Munich Re stated.
The corporate warned that research confirmed a hyperlink between world warming and pure disasters.
“The pictures of pure disasters in 2021 are disturbing,” stated Torsten Jeworrek, a member Munich Re’s board of administration.
“Local weather analysis more and more confirms that excessive climate has develop into extra probably,” he stated.
“Societies must urgently adapt to growing climate dangers and make local weather safety a precedence.” Satellite tv for pc measurements present 2021 was one of many warmest years on report, with the annual common temperature 1.1-1.2 levels Celsius greater than the pre-industrial interval from 1850-1900, the European Union’s Copernicus Local weather Change Service stated Monday.
Europe skilled its warmest summer season on report, it stated.
Scientists say that greater temperatures could cause the air to soak up extra moisture, which might then result in extra excessive rainfall reminiscent of that seen in western Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands final summer season.
The ensuing floods devastated entire villages and killed greater than 220 folks in what insurance coverage corporations stated was the most costly pure catastrophe Europe has ever seen.
“Though occasions can not routinely be attributed to local weather change, evaluation of the adjustments over a long time offers believable indications of a reference to the warming of the environment and the oceans,” stated Ernst Rauch, Munich Re’s chief local weather scientist, including that adapting to growing dangers could be “a problem.” The corporate famous that not all pure disasters are climate-related, citing volcanic eruptions in Indonesia and Spain’s Canary Islands, and earthquakes such because the one which hit Japan in February. (AP) VM VM
(This story is printed as a part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No modifying has been executed within the headline or the physique by ABP Dwell.)
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