How to Deal with Severe Weather

People in greater Tokyo were astonished with the power of nature on Monday. A set of tornadoes blew houses away and caused sixty-four people injured in Saitama and Chiba prefecture, suburb of Tokyo Metropolitan District. Media in Japan reported that was a consequence of global warming, with analyses of experts.

It was around 2 p.m. when a tornado appeeared in Koshigarya City, Saitama, and swoop the land in 15 kilometers length. Injured people include mid-school students in the city. Tokyo Shimbun reported comment of a female student that she had heard stomping sound from the roof after black out happened in gym, and then broken window glasses poured on the students. A goal post on succor field was blown away by the wind in another elementary school.

Japan Meteorological Agency explained how the storm was born. At the time, the land surface was highly heated by sunshine, while the air in high altitude was significantly cool. This gap of temperature caused quick convection, and made a great cumulonimbus called “super cell.” This area, northern suburb of Tokyo, has frequently been marking Japan’s highest temperature of a day recent years. Distant from coastal area, heat island phenomena can often be seen there.

In Tokyo, an expert meeting for discussion about extraordinary climate was held mostly at the same time of the tornado. The members concluded that this extremely hot summer was brought by extraordinary climate. Temperature of Japan this summer was 1.06 Celsius degree, the fourth highest since 1898. They used data of relatively rural area where impact of urbanization would be small.

However, the land surface has been artificially warmed by urban life style. Air conditioners in office buildings and houses not only heat the air around them, but also emit humidity as compensation for keeping rooms cool and dry. Causing traffic jam sometimes, a number of cars on the road emit greenhouse gasses. Asphalt blocks earth to absorb heat of daylight.

Tornado comes too sudden to escape. It is unlikely for the government to predict it and let people evacuate accordingly. Before challenging great nature, people need to think about how to reduce negative impact of severe climate. Dense population is one of the serious problems in Japan, of which bureaucrats are lagging behind. Structural change of society is critical for the country which experienced unprecedented disaster only two years ago.