Massive waves in the seas and intense turbulence in the air will result from apocalyptic weather over the coming decades, say forecasters at a World Meteorological Organization conference in Montreal as reported by Agence France-Presse.
If those forecasts come true, it means we are going to have to prepare and plan for storms differently; we are going to have to ready for extremes.
Zoning, building, infrastructure, transportation and safety rules would all have to be revamped to take into account the new normal.
Airplane passengers will experience twice as much turbulence and ocean waves will regularly top 40 meters, or 130 feet by 2050, according to forecasters quoted by AFP. Never mind the wicked winds, downpours of rain,blizzards of snow, heat waves, and droughts, which all sound so biblical but are our future.
These reports come from the first World Weather Open Science Conference, where some 1,000 scientists and weather experts gathered this week in Montreal. The conference was hosted to "chart the future course of scientific research and its potential for generating new and improved weather services," according to the WMO. Climate specialists quoted say the increased amounts of water vapor in the air caused by our warming planet will produce stronger wind currents and create never-before-seen bouts of extreme weather.
So fasten your seat belts and batten down the hatches. We're in for rough rides ahead.
Flying at nighttime when the air is cooler may be the only way to fly safe. When hot air rises and crashes into cooler air at higher altitudes, it causes turbulence; air pressure changes.
Shipping companies may also have to rethink trade routes. Already shipping lanes are getting battered with increasingly large waves. Cruise ships, too.
On land, emergency supply kits and preparedness plans will likely be de rigeur for every household.
Apocalypse? Sure sounds like it.