Notable extreme weather segments that effectively linked extreme weather to global warming

Here are some recent broadcast and cable segments that effectively explained the connection between recent extreme weather events and global warming:

A segment airing during the July 17 episode of ABC’s World News Tonight highlighted the global and local impacts of climate change. Within the U.S., ABC News correspondent Victor Oquendo reported on heat alerts affecting over 90 million people and coral bleaching in Florida, while internationally, he highlighted European wildfires caused by a severe Mediterranean heat wave. His coverage emphasized the far-reaching, interconnected impacts of climate change.

Another strong broadcast segment, which aired during the July 24 episode of CBS Mornings, featured an interview with climate scientist Michael Mann, who highlighted the harmful impacts of ongoing fossil fuel use and carbon pollution. He argued that this year's intense heat signifies future climate trends, marking the current climate as a “new abnormal” instead of a “new normal.” The frequency of extreme weather events, Mann warned, will continue to increase without immediate action on carbon emissions.

On cable, a segment that aired during the July 15 episode of MSNBC’s Alex Witt Reports featured author Jeff Goodell pushing back on the notion that extreme heat or other unusual weather events are mere flukes; he clarified that these occurrences are signs of global warming. It also discussed how dangerous climate-driven extreme heat will create a new climate era with its own set of uncertainties, especially if fossil fuel emissions, a significant factor in global warming, remain in our atmosphere for thousands of years.

During a wide-ranging conversation on the July 15 episode of MSNBC’s PoliticsNation, host Al Sharpton and guest Mustafa Santiago Ali discussed the role climate change has played in global heat waves. Citing the World Meteorological Organization's declaration of July as the hottest month globally, they linked this extreme weather to the influence of global warming, which the United Nations described as “out of control.” Santiago Ali emphasized that scientists and frontline communities have been warning about these events for decades due to our reliance on fossil fuels.

MSNBC’s American Voices with Alicia Menendez hosted meteorologist Jeff Berardelli to explain the connection between record global temperatures, extreme weather events, and climate change on July 15. Berardelli attributed these conditions to increased heat and energy in the climate system, amplified by El Niño. In addition, he highlighted the shifting role of meteorologists, acknowledging their evolving responsibility to raise public awareness about the grave challenge climate change presents for future generations.

In a July 16 monologue on MSNBC's Velshi, host Ali Velshi discussed the escalating global average ocean temperature and its far-reaching impacts. He illustrated the peril warmer oceans pose to marine ecosystems and the role they play in amplifying the severity of weather extremes, with potential links to lethal flooding from Pennsylvania to Northern India.

A segment on CNN This Morning on July 18 brought the grim reality of the ongoing climate crisis into focus. CNN’s chief climate correspondent Bill Weir explained why the planet's continued heating, equivalent to absorbing the heat of 10 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs every second, is largely irreversible due to a century of industrialization. He also noted that recent global anomalies such as persistent heat blobs and over 5,000 broken temperature records across the globe are stark illustrations of this reality.

On July 19, Brenda Ekwurzel, a senior climate scientist from the Union of Concerned Scientists, appeared on MSNBC’s Chris Jansing Reports to discuss the exceptional characteristics of current climate-related events. She brought attention to notable data, such as alarmingly high ocean temperatures and unprecedentedly low Antarctic sea ice levels, and cited extreme “feels like” temperatures surpassing 150 degrees Fahrenheit in Iran, which pose life-threatening conditions for humans. Looking forward, Ekwurzel noted that the preservation of liveable temperatures could become a recognized human right and drive the development of governmental initiatives and policy changes to protect humans from extreme heat.

Why climate attribution science must also become a part of extreme weather coverage

Climate attribution science, which focuses on the role of climate in weather events, is essential in shaping our understanding and response to the climate crisis, and it must be included in extreme weather coverage. 

A few segments reported on the findings of a July study from the World Weather Attribution Initiative that established a direct correlation between human-induced climate change and the recent heat waves, providing clear explanations and stark warnings about our future in the absence of climate adaptation and mitigation measures. Segments highlighting findings from the study — which predicts that if current levels of greenhouse gas emissions persist, extreme weather events could occur every 15 years in North America, every 10 years in Europe, and as frequently as every five years in China — offer a critical framework for reshaping the approach to extreme weather reporting.

For example, during the July 25 episode of ABC’s Good Morning America, chief meteorologist and climate unit managing editor Ginger Zee discussed the abnormal intensity and duration of this summer’s heat waves, referencing the attribution study's findings that such events are virtually impossible without human-induced climate change.

On the July 25 episode of CBS Mornings, Leah Stokes, a climate policy expert from UC Santa Barbara, linked the recent extreme heat waves to human-caused climate change and emphasized the findings of the extreme heat attribution study that this summer’s extreme weather events are no longer rare due to climate change and will become increasingly common if the burning of fossil fuels continues unabated. Stokes also noted that the situation is not irreversible; if the world stops burning fossil fuels, the temperature would start to stabilize. However, she cautioned that the climate system is already primed for continued warming until these changes are enacted.

On cable, CNN aired a few strong segments about the extreme heat attribution study. The July 25 episode of CNN Newsroom Live discussed the alarming study, detailing the report's predictions and calls for rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, enhancements in urban planning, improved coordination between social services and hospitals, and advanced heat wave prediction techniques.

The same day, a segment on CNN This Morning shed more light on the attribution study. Meteorologist Derek Van Dam emphasized a finding from the report that concluded without a significant reduction in fossil fuel use, the world could see extreme heat events potentially occurring every two to three years.

Going forward, national TV news must not only standardize this improved, nuanced reporting, it must also revolutionize how extreme weather is covered. The connection between these events and climate change isn't optional; it's imperative. In addition, the advent of climate attribution science has underscored its vital role in extreme weather reporting, demonstrating in real-time that these extreme weather events are not isolated incidents, but stark signals of human-induced climate change. As the world confronts the harsh realities of a new climate normal, it's far past time for a new normal in reporting—one that fully acknowledges and addresses the escalating realities of our climate crisis.