Recent satellite analysis from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has revealed a sharp escalation in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events globally, including droughts and floods.
The findings, based on data from NASA’s GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellites, indicated that 2023 saw nearly twice the volume of severe weather activity compared to the annual average recorded between 2003 and 2020.
NASA scientists monitoring water movement and land surface moisture levels have noted that the pace of extreme weather is rising faster than previously anticipated.
Although these observations are not yet peer-reviewed and require further analysis to establish long-term trends, researchers link the patterns to broader climate change effects.
Dr Bailing Li, a researcher with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland’s Earth Systems Science division, acknowledged that more time is needed to confirm the trend.
“We can’t prove causation yet – we would need a much longer dataset. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what’s happening here, but other events suggest that (global) warming is the driving factor. We are seeing more and more extreme events round the world, so this is certainly alarming,” she said, as reported by The Guardian.
Dr Matthew Rodell, NASA’s chief of hydrologic sciences, noted the findings require careful interpretation but added that the uptick in extremes warrants close attention.
An Australian insurance leader said the satellite data adds urgency to local resilience strategies, particularly for insurers and commercial property owners.
Andrew Stafford, FM’s senior vice president and operations manager for Australia and New Zealand, pointed to Australia’s vulnerability.
“These findings from NASA should serve as a reminder that Australia is not immune to the escalating severity of extreme weather events,” he said in a statement sent to Insurance Business.
FM’s 2025 Resilience Index placed Australia at 87th globally for climate risk exposure. A related study with The Economist Intelligence Unit found that 70% of surveyed Australian executives reported property or revenue impacts due to unexpected weather events, yet nearly a quarter of businesses still ranked climate-related risks as medium or low priority.
Stafford said this gap between experience and preparedness presents a growing challenge.
“At FM, we witness firsthand the catastrophic impact climate events like flooding, cyclones, and bushfires can have on properties, businesses, and the communities they support. But we also recognise that with the right planning and preventative measures, damage and loss can be minimised,” he said.
Stafford urged Australian firms to adopt a more structured approach to risk mitigation, citing frequent losses from floods, cyclones, and bushfires.
“As extreme weather events increasingly become the new normal, we urge businesses to take proactive approach to resilience planning to mitigate these risks. This can be done by undertaking comprehensive risk assessments, developing tailored mitigation strategies, and conducting structural evaluations,” he said.
