Interannual Variation and Hazard Analysis of Meteorological Disasters in East China

Abstract

Meteorological disaster is one of the natural disasters that cause the most casualties and losses in the world [1–3]. In recent years, due to global warming and the intensification of human activities, meteorological disasters (such as floods, droughts, hurricanes, extreme heat or cold, snowstorms, etc.) in many countries have become more frequent [4–7]. These disasters pose a serious threat to people’s life and property security, agricultural production, water resources and ecosystems [8–11]. China is one of the countries in the world with frequent meteorological disasters, various kinds of disasters and severe losses from disasters. The losses caused by meteorological disasters account for about 70% of the total losses of all kinds of natural disasters in China [1]. Wu et al. [12] showed that meteorological disasters accounted for 55% of the deaths and 87% of the direct economic losses caused by natural hazards in China during 1994–2013. Hence, the variations and trends of meteorological disasters are of great significance to people’s life and property, national economic construction and ecological security in China [13–15].