Four tropical storms active on February 12 in the southern Indian Ocean; from left to right are Gerry, Hape, Isha, and Fiona

The following is a list of weather events that occurred on Earth in the year 2003. The most common weather events to have a significant impact are blizzards, cold waves, droughts, heat waves, wildfires, floods, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones. The deadliest event of the year was a European heatwave that killed 72,210 people, which broke several nationwide temperature records.

Overview

The year began with El Niño conditions, which meant that sea surface temperatures over the equator over the eastern Pacific Ocean were anomalously warm.[1]

Deadliest events

Deadliest meteorological events during 2003
Rank Event Date(s) Deaths (+Missing) Refs
1 European heatwave JulyAugust 72,210 [2]
2 Sri Lanka floods May 1020 260 [3]
3 Bukit Lawang, Indonesia flash flood November 12 180 [4]
4 Typhoon Maemi September 516 120 [5][6]
4 Vietnam floods October 14November 14 103 [7]
5
6
7

Types

The following listed different types of special weather conditions worldwide.

Cold snaps and winter storms

Floods

Heat waves and droughts

Map of temperature variations in Europe in summer 2003, compared to two years prior

In the summer of 2003, there was a severe heatwave across Europe, considered the warmest summer on the continent since 1540. The heat and drought killed 72,210 people across 15 countries, making it the sixth deadliest disaster worldwide in the first two decades of the 21st century. Most of the deaths occurred in Italy and France. Several nationwide temperature records were broken during the heatwave, with a peak temperature of 44.1 °C (111.4 °F) recorded in France on August 12.[8][2][9]

There was also a heat wave across the United States from March through November that killed 35 people.[10]

Tornadoes

Throughout the year, there were 1,374 tornadoes in the United States.[11] In a one week period in May, a severe weather outbreak produced 335 tornadoes across 26 U.S. states, which set the record for the most twisters in a single week. There were 51 deaths related to the event.[12][10]

Tropical cyclones

There was two tropical cyclones active as the year began Cyclone Zoe in the southern Pacific Ocean, which quickly transitioned into an extratropical cyclone, and Tropical Storm Delfina, which moved across Mozambique and Malawi.[13][14] There were seven named storms that developed within the South Pacific during the year. In the South-West Indian Ocean, there were 13 named storms, including a series of four simultaneous storms in February.[15][16] The strongest cyclone in 2003 was Cyclone Inigo, which in April became one of the strongest cyclones ever recorded in the Australian basin.[17] Inigo was one of nine named storms in the basin during the year, along with an unnamed storm.[15][16]

In the northern hemisphere, the western Pacific featured 21 named storms, including Typhoon Maemi, which was the strongest storm on record to hit South Korea, resulting in 120 deaths and damage estimated at ₩5.52 trillion won (KRW, US$4.8 billion).[5][6][18] In the northern Indian Ocean, there were five cyclonic storms, including one in May that produced flooding across Sri Lanka, killing 260 people.[3][19] The Atlantic hurricane season lasted from April to November with 16 named storms. These included Fabian and Juan, the strongest hurricanes to hit Bermuda and Nova Scotia, respectively, in several decades.[20][21][22] In the eastern Pacific, there were also 16 named storms, several of which affected Mexico.[23]

Wildfires

In January, high winds and lightning ignited bushfires in Canberra, Australia's capital city, which burned 70% of the territory's nature areas before being contained. The fires killed four people and caused 435 injuries.[24] Throughout the northern hemisphere summer, wildfires burned 10% of Portugal's territory, killing 19 people.[25]

Extratropical cyclones and other weather systems

Timeline

This is a timeline of deadly weather events during 2003.

January

  • December 2002 to February 2003 – An ongoing cold wave affected southern India, with more than 740 deaths related to cold temperatures in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal.[26]
  • January 821 – Bushfires in Canberra, Australia's capital city, killed four people and caused 435 injuries. The fires also burned 70% of the territory's nature areas.[24]
  • January 915 – Cyclone Ami moved through Fiji, killing 14 people.[27]
  • January 19February 5 – Cyclone Beni trekked through the South Pacific for 18 days, eventually dissipating offshore the Australian state of Queensland. There was one death related to Beni.[27]
  • January 21 – Intense rainfall produced flooding in Bolivia's capital, La Paz, killing four people.[28]

February

March

  • March 1November 30 – A heat wave across the United States killed 35 people and resulted in US$5 billion in agriculture losses.[10]
  • March 117 – Cyclone Erica hit New Caledonia, killing two people.[34]
  • March 30April 8 – Cyclone Inigo developed over Indonesia, causing at least 50 fatalities. It later became one of the most intense cyclones in the region, before weakening and striking Western Australia.[17]

April

May

  • May 213 – Cyclone Manou brushed southeastern Madagascar, resulting in 89 deaths.[40]
  • May 310 – A severe weather outbreak in the eastern half of the United States killed 51 people. With 335 tornadoes across 26 U.S. states, the outbreak set the record for the most twisters in a single week. Damage totaled US$4.1 billion.[10][12]
  • May 1020 – A very severe cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal produced significant rainfall across Sri Lanka. Destructive floods killed 260 people and displaced about 800,000 people.[19][3][41]
  • May 25June 2 – Tropical Storm Linfa developed west of the Philippines and later moved through Japan, causing 41 fatalities.[42]

June

  • JuneAugust – A heatwave across Europe, considered the hottest since 1540, killed 72,210 people, particularly across France and Italy.[2][8]
  • June 1124 – Typhoon Soudelor moved from the Philippine Sea and eventually passed between South Korea and Japan, causing 14 deaths along its path.[43][44]
  • June 2627 – Tropical Storm Carlos struck southern Mexico, killing nine people.[45][46]
  • June 29July 3 – Tropical Storm Bill moved ashore the U.S. state of Louisiana and produced a tornado outbreak across the southeastern United States. There were four deaths related to the storm.[47]

July

August

  • August 29 – Typhoon Etau developed near the Federated States of Micronesia and later struck Japan, causing 20 deaths.[55]
  • August 1326 – Typhoon Krovanh hit the northern Philippines and southern China, resulting in four fatalities.[56][57][58]
  • August 1414 – Hurricane Erika hit northeastern Mexico, with two people killed by floodwaters.[59]
  • August 2227 – Hurricane Ignacio struck Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, killing four people. Ignacio was the first hurricane of the annual season, the latest date for the season's first hurricane since reliable satellite observation began in 1966.[60][61]
  • August 24 – A squall with gale-force winds struck The Gambia, killing two people and damaging hundreds of buildings.[62]
  • August 27September 3 – Typhoon Dujuan struck the Chinese province of Guangdong while also affecting the Philippines and Taiwan, resulting in 44 deaths.[63][56]
  • August 27September 10 – Hurricane Fabian became the strongest hurricane to hit Bermuda since 1963, while also producing high waves along the eastern coastline of North America. Fabian caused eight deaths as well as US$300 million in damage, the most destructive storm on Bermuda since 1926.[20][64]

September

  • September 1November 30 – Wildfires in the U.S. state of California killed 22 people, with damage estimated at US$3.9 billion.[10]
  • September 516 – Typhoon Maemi was the strongest typhoon to make landfall in South Korea since records began in 1904. Maemi also affected Japan, with 120 fatalities along its path.[5][6]
  • September 620 – Hurricane Isabel became a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale before weakening and striking the U.S. state of North Carolina, resulting in 51 deaths across the eastern United States.[65]
  • September 1824 – Hurricane Marty hit Mexico's Baja California peninsula, killing 12 people.[66]
  • September 2429 – Hurricane Juan made landfall in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, becoming the strongest hurricane to hit Halifax since 1893. Juan killed eight people across Atlantic Canada.[21]

October

  • October 16 – Tropical Storm Larry hit the Mexican state of Tabasco, causing five deaths.[67]
  • October 610 – A depression in the Bay of Bengal moved ashore eastern India, killing 21 people.[19]
  • October 9 – A lightning strike on a school in Bikoro, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killed 11 people, with 85 injured.[68]
  • October 1013 – A subtropical low moved through Japan, resulting in four deaths.[69]
  • October 14November 14 – Floods in Vietnam, related to two heavy rainfall events, killed at least 103 people.[7]
  • October 2124 – Tropical Depression Ursula killed one person while moving through the Philippines.[70]
  • October 29November 5 – Severe Tropical Storm Melor, known locally as Viring, moved through the Philippines, causing four fatalities.[71]

November

  • November 2 – Flash floods in Indonesia killed at least 180 people in the tourist town of Bukit Lawang, after 450 buildings were swept away.[4][72][73]
  • November 1119 – Typhoon Nepartak, known locally as Weng, crossed the central Philippines, killing 13 people.[74]
  • November 14 December – Floods in the Dominican Republic killed at least ten people.[75]

December

  • December – Monsoonal floods killed more than 200 people in the Philippines.[76]
  • December – Intense rainfall across Colombia produced flash floods and landslides that killed 42 deaths.[77]
  • December 49 – Tropical Storm Odette caused ten fatalities when it struck the Dominican Republic. Odette was the first recorded December Atlantic tropical storm in the Caribbean.[78]
  • December 1116 – A cyclonic storm made landfall in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, resulting in 83 fatalities.[19]
  • December 2022 – Floods in Haiti killed 38 people.[79]
  • December 2830 – A winter storm in Utah killed at least two people from traffic accidents.[80]

References

  1. "El Niño/Southern Oscillation for Annual 2003". National Centers for Environmental Information. January 2004. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Human Cost of Disasters: An Overview of the Last 20 Years 2000-2019 (PDF) (Report). United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Lareef Zubair (2004). "May 2003 Disaster in Sri Lanka and Cyclone 01-B in the Bay of Bengal" (PDF). Natural Hazards. 33 (3): 303–318. doi:10.1023/b:nhaz.0000048462.21938.d6. S2CID 128560863. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  4. 1 2 Apriadi Gunawan (August 31, 2006). "Indonesia: Bahorok flood victims get houses after three years of living in camps". Jakarta Post. ReliefWeb. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Guy Carpenter. Typhoon Maemi Loss Report 2003 (PDF) (Report). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 Digital Typhoon. Typhoon 200314 (Maemi) (Report). Archived from the original on October 18, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Central Viet Nam devastated by repeated storms, floods (Report). UNICEF. November 28, 2003. ReliefWeb. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Rene Orth, Martha M Vogel, Jürg Luterbacher, Christian Pfister, and Sonia I Seneviratne (November 15, 2016). "Did European temperatures in 1540 exceed present-day records?". Environmental Research Letters. 11 (11).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. Bob Henson (June 20, 2019). "Europe Awaits Record-Smashing June Heat Wave". Weather Underground. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters 2003". NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  11. "U.S. Annual Tornado Maps (1952–2011): 2003 Tornadoes". Storm Prediction Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  12. 1 2 Hamill, Thomas M.; Schneider, Russell S.; Brooks, Harold E.; Forbes, Gregory S.; Bluestein, Howard B.; Steinberg, Michael; Meléndez, Daniel; Dole, Randall M. (April 2005). "The May 2003 Extended Tornado Outbreak". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. American Meteorological Society. 86 (4): 531–542. Bibcode:2005BAMS...86..531H. doi:10.1175/BAMS-86-4-531. S2CID 122031474.
  13. "2002 Tropical Cyclone ZOE (2002358S08185)". ibtracs.unca.edu. IBTrACS - International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  14. "2002 Severe Tropical Storm DELFINA (2002364S16045)". ibtracs.unca.edu. IBTrACS - International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  15. 1 2 "2003". ibtracs.unca.edu. Storms by Year and Basin. IBTrACS - International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  16. 1 2 "2004". ibtracs.unca.edu. Storms by Year and Basin. IBTrACS - International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  17. 1 2 Severe Tropical Cyclone Inigo (Report). Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  18. Annual Report on Activities of the RSMC Tokyo Japan Meteorological Agency 2003 (PDF) (Report). Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  19. 1 2 3 4 N. Jayanthi; A. B. Mazumdar; S. Sunitha Devi (July 2004). "Cyclones and depressions over north Indian Ocean during 2003" (PDF). MAUSAM. 55 (3). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
  20. 1 2 Richard J. Pasch; Eric S. Blake; Daniel P. Brown (November 19, 2003). "Hurricane Fabian Tropical Cyclone Report" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  21. 1 2 Fogarty, Chris (2003). "Hurricane Juan Storm Summary" (PDF). Canadian Hurricane Centre. Environment Canada. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 1, 2007. Retrieved November 20, 2006.
  22. Miles B. Lawrence; Lixion A. Avila; John L. Beven; James L. Franklin; Richard J. Pasch; Stacy R. Stewart (June 1, 2005). "Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2003". Monthly Weather Review.
  23. Beven, John L.; Avila, Lixion A.; Franklin, James L.; Lawrence, Miles B.; Pasch, Richard J.; Stewart, Stacy R. (May 2005). "Eastern North Pacific Hurricane Season of 2003". Monthly Weather Review. 133 (5): 1403–1414. Bibcode:2005MWRv..133.1403B. doi:10.1175/MWR2917.1.
  24. 1 2 "Canberra Bushfire 2003". Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  25. "Portugal forest fire death toll hits 19". Reuters. ReliefWeb. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  26. ACT alert Bangladesh, India and Nepal 01/2003 - Cold spell claims more than 740 lives (Report). International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies. March 13, 2003. ReliefWeb. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  27. 1 2 RSMC Nadi — Tropical Cyclone Centre (August 29, 2007). Tropical Cyclone Seasonal Summary 2002-2003 season (PDF) (Report). Fiji Meteorological Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 1, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  28. "Bolivia: Hail and Rainstorm - Information Bulletin n° 1". International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies. January 25, 2003. ReliefWeb. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  29. 1 2 Padgett, Gary. "Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary February 2003". Retrieved May 3, 2013.
  30. "Winter storm paralyzes much of East Coast". CNN. February 17, 2003. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  31. "Government Reports On Disasters". Africa News. April 2, 2003. (accessed via Lexis Nexis on August 16, 2012)
  32. "Zimbabwe; Elaborate Disaster Preparedness Plan Needed". Africa News. AllAfrica, Inc. August 1, 2003. (accessed via Lexis Nexis on August 16, 2012)
  33. "Man drowns in WA floods". The Sydney Morning Herald. March 3, 2003. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  34. "Cyclone Erica causes death, injuries and heavy damage in New Caledonia". Radio New Zealand. March 15, 2003.
  35. National Climatic Data Center (April 10, 2003). Storm Event Report for Tropical Storm in Micronesia on April 10, 2003. NCDC Storm Events (Report). Micronesia: United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  36. KITAMOTO Asanobu. "Digital Typhoon: Weather Disaster Report (2003-936-04)". Digital Typhoon Weather Disaster Database (in Japanese). National Institute of Informatics. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  37. National Climatic Data Center (2003). "Tropical Storm Ana Event Report". Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2007.
  38. https://reliefweb.int/report/argentina/floods-increase-woes-dispossessed-argentineans
  39. "Argentina declares flood disaster". BBC. May 1, 2003. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  40. Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. "EM-DAT: The Emergency Events Database". Université catholique de Louvain.
  41. "Nearly one million left homeless by Sri Lankan floods". World Socialist Web Site. International Committee of the Fourth International. May 27, 2003. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  42. Padgett, Gary; Boyle, Kevin; Chunliang, Huang (May 2003). "Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary May 2003". Summaries and Track Data. Australiansevereweather.com. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  43. Aftermath report for the Philippines (Report). National Disaster Coordinating Council. 2003. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  44. Water Resources of Korea (PDF) (Report). Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. September 27, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 13, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2013.
  45. Staff Writer (June 30, 2003). "Tropical Storm Carlos kills seven in Mexico". Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
  46. Staff Writer (June 23, 2003). "Tropical Storm Carlos dissipates after causing minor damage along Mexico's southern Pacific coast". Associated Press.
  47. Lixion A. Avila (2003). "Tropical Storm Bill Tropical Cyclone Report" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  48. Jack Beven (September 9, 2003). "Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Claudette" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  49. Sudan: Floods in Kassala State Appeal No. 19/2003 interim final report (Report). International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies. February 18, 2004. ReliefWeb.
  50. Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. "Trop. Storm "Gilas"". Tropical Cyclone Track. Manila, Philippines: Philippine Department of Science and Technology. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  51. Super Typhoon "Harurot" (19 to 23 July 2003) (Report). Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  52. Typhoon Imbudo (0307) : 17-25 July 2003 (PDF) (Report). Hong Kong Observatory. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  53. Kevin Boyle. "Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary July 2003". Gary Padgett. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  54. Padgett, Gary; Boyle, Kevin; Chunliang, Huang (October 2003). "Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary August 2003". Summaries and Track Data. Australiansevereweather.com. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
  55. Typhoon 200310 (Etau) (Report). Digital Typhoon. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  56. 1 2 Tropical Cyclones in 2003 (PDF) (Report). Hong Kong, China: Hong Kong Observatory. April 2004. pp. 26, 50–56. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2013.
  57. "Two die in Typhoon Krovanh rampage". Guangzhou, China. Xinhua News Agency. August 25, 2003.
  58. "Typhoon Kronvanh kills one, injures five in Vietnam". Vietnam. Deutsche Presse-Agentur. August 26, 2003.
  59. Franklin (2003). "Hurricane Erika Tropical Cyclone Report" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  60. RA IV Hurricane Committee (2004). "Final Report of the Twenty-Sixth Session" (PDF). World Meteorological Organization. pp. 33, 77. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 21, 2006. Retrieved August 10, 2006.
  61. Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil: Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres (March 2004). Informe de la Temporada de Ciclones Tropicales del 2003 (PDF) (Report) (in Spanish). El Secretario de Gobernación de Mexico. Retrieved January 1, 2022.
  62. Gambia: Squall in Upper River Division - Information Bulletin n° 1 (Report). International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies. September 1, 2003. ReliefWeb. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  63. Destructive Typhoons 1970-2003 (Report). National Disaster Coordinating Council Office of Civil Defense Operations Center. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  64. Jessica Blunden (October 17, 2006). "Global Hazards and Significant Events September 2003". National Climatic Data Center. Archived from the original on April 17, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  65. Jack Beven; Hugh Cobb (2003). "Hurricane Isabel Tropical Cyclone Report" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  66. Franklin, James L. (May 22, 2015). "Hurricane Marty Tropical Cyclone Report" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved July 4, 2006.
  67. Stacy Stuart (2003). "Tropical Storm Larry Tropical Cyclone Report" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  68. "Lightning strike kills 11 in Congo". The New Zealand Herald. October 14, 2003. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  69. Padgett, Gary; Boyle, Kevin; Chunliang, Huang (October 2003). "Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Summary October 2003". Summaries and Track Data. Australiansevereweather.com. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  70. Tropical Depression "Ursula" (23 to 24 October 2003) (Report). Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  71. Flooding in Luzon, The Philippines (Report). NASA Earth Observatory. November 11, 2003. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  72. "75 Die In Indonesia Resort Flood". Associated Press. November 4, 2003. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  73. "Indonesia: Flood death toll at 239". Laksamana.Net. November 30, 2003. ReliefWeb.
  74. Tropical Storm Weng (Report). Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
  75. Dominican Republic - Floods OCHA Situation Report No. 1 (Report). United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. November 26, 2003. ReliefWeb. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  76. "Death toll in Philippine landslides rises to 200". Xinhua. December 29, 2003. ReliefWeb. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  77. Colombia: Floods - Information Bulletin n° 1 (Report). International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies. December 16, 2003. ReliefWeb. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  78. James Franklin (2003). "Tropical Storm Odette Tropical Cyclone Report" (PDF). National Hurricane Center. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
  79. Haiti: Floods - Information Bulletin n° 2 (Report). International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies. December 29, 2003. ReliefWeb. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  80. https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5328121

Notes

    Global weather by year
    Preceded by
    2002
    Weather of
    2003
    Succeeded by
    2004
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.