Wild weather serves as wake-up call

Deadly US freeze fits into pattern that makes climate action urgent, experts say

A deadly "big freeze" in the United States, heavy snowfalls in Southern Europe and the Middle East, melting glaciers in the two poles and the Himalayas, with fatal consequences in India. The loss of life incurred over recent weeks in phenomena linked to climate change underscores the stakes as the planet warms.

"These disasters represent clear and present danger. They are here, they are now, and they take lives and livelihoods. They should flag the urgency of acting now," said Vinod Thomas, visiting professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in the National University of Singapore.

Scientists have for long warned about the growing impact of global warming. It seems "counterintuitive when we talk about a warming planet then we have these abnormal cold conditions", said professor Will Steffen, spokesman for the Climate Council in Australia.