CALAMITY DISASTERS

  Global temperatures and the frequency and intensity of heat waves will rise in the 21st century as a result of climate change. High air temperatures can affect human health and lead to additional deaths.  Extended periods of high day and nighttime temperatures create cumulative physiological stress on the human body which exacerbates the top causes of death globally, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and renal disease. Heatwaves can acutely impact large populations for short periods of time, often trigger public health emergencies, and result in excess mortality, and cascading socioeconomic impacts (e.g. lost work capacity and labor productivity). They can also cause loss of health service delivery capacity, where power-shortages which often accompany heatwaves disrupt health facilities, transport, and water infrastructure. Heat wave is considered if maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40°C or more for Plains and at least 30°C...

Tornadoes are natural disasters that are responsible for part of the world death toll each year. The enormous damage that tornadoes usually leave behind affects many aspects of the public health and economic stability of a region or a country. The most prevalent health impact that tornadoes cause are injuries from flying debris, fractures, head injuries,  cervical spine  trauma, psychological trauma, wound infections, lower hygiene due to home displacement, or outbreaks of infectious diseases. Tornadoes can form anywhere in the world and so far have been detected in every continent except  Antarctica . Many long-lived tornadoes appear to have similar life cycles. Such tornadoes first appear as a rotating column of dust on the ground. A funnel cloud then appears to build downward from the cloud base. When the funnel cloud is nearly vertically oriented, widest, and in contact with the ground, the tornado is most intense.  Later in its life the tornado condensation...

   Wildfires  occur when vegetated areas are set alight and are particularly common during hot and dry periods. They can occur in forests, grasslands, brush and deserts, and with sufficient wind can rapidly spread. Unchecked, such fires can cause devastation to forests and other areas of vegetation Unchecked, such fires can cause devastation to forests and other areas of vegetation. If fires approach or occur near towns or cities it often prompts a precautionary evacuation, as the direction fires may take are unpredictable. The most common causes of fires are lightning strikes, sparks during arid conditions, the eruption of volcanoes, and man-made fires arising from deliberate arson or accidents. A side-effect of wildfires that also threatens inhabited areas is smoke. Fires create large quantities of smoke, which can be spread far by wind and poses a respiratory hazard. Satellites can be used to map the extent of a fire by observing the smoke plumes and identifying burn s...

  Hail is a potentially dangerous type of frozen precipitation that forms inside thunderstorms. It can be as small as a pea, but in powerful storms, it can grow as big as a golf ball - or even larger! Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone.  Most of us have experienced hail at one point or another, but why does one storm drop hail when another does not? Why do some hailstones get so big? How does hail form? a thunderstorm forms when moist unstable air is able to rise into cool air. This rising column of air is called an updraft, and it begins because warm air is more buoyant than cold air, and is able to rise through it (like a hot air balloon).  Sometimes, these updrafts can be incredibly strong and can carry moisture tens of thousands of feet into the atmosphere. But what goes up must come dow...

  Floods are the most frequent type of natural disaster and occur when an overflow of water submerges usually dry land. Floods are often caused by heavy rainfall, rapid snowmelt, or a storm surge from a tropical cyclone or tsunami in coastal areas. Floods can cause widespread devastation, resulting in loss of life and damages to personal property and critical public health infrastructure. Between 1998-2017, floods affected more than 2 billion people worldwide. People who live in floodplains or non-resistant buildings, or lack warning systems and awareness of flooding hazards, are most vulnerable to floods.          Flash floods are caused by rapid and excessive rainfall that raises water heights quickly, and rivers, streams, channels, or roads may be overtaken. River floods are caused when consistent rain or snow melt forces a river to exceed capacity. Between 80-90% of all documented disasters from natural hazards during the past 10 years have resulted fr...

A volcano is an opening or rupture in the earth’s surface that allows magma (hot liquid and semi-liquid rock), volcanic ash and gases to escape. They are generally found where tectonic plates come together or separate but they can also occur in the middle of plates due to volcanic hotspots.  A  volcanic eruption  is when lava and gas are released from a volcano—sometimes explosively. The most dangerous type of eruption is called a 'glowing avalanche' which is when freshly erupted magma flows down the sides of a volcano. They can travel quickly and reach temperatures of up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. Other hazards include ash fall, and lahars (mud or debris flows). Volcanoes often cause population displacement and food shortages. Ongoing volcanic activity around the world is not only about dramatic news on disruptions to daily life. Volcanoes also help provide us with fertile soils and comfortable atmospheric conditions for daily living....