During the pandemic, extreme weather and climate events such as droughts, storms, floods, wildfires and heatwaves continued, resulting in disastrous compounding impacts . Between March and September 2020, 92 extreme weather events coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting an estimated 51.6 million people; additionally, 431.7 million people were exposed to extreme heat, and 2.3 million people were affected by wildfires . The COVID-19 pandemic, in combination with extreme events, affected disaster preparedness, disaster response and safe evacuations, while physical distancing regulations reduced the capacity of temporary shelters . Complex humanitarian emergencies were aggravated, with vulnerable populations facing the combined risks of conflict, displacement, COVID-19 and climate impacts . Compounding events are not only found in low-income countries but also in medium- and high-income countries, for instance in the case of COVID-19 and heatwaves .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report