The number of weather-related disasters has increased by five times over the past 50 years, the latest report by the World Meteorological (气象) Organization (WMO) said on September. However, thanks to improved early warning systems and disaster management, the number of death from these hazards (危险) has been almost three times less.

According to the WMO, from 1970 to 2019, weather, climate and water hazards accounted for 50 percent of all disasters. Among the top 10 hazards that led to the largest loss of human life during this period were droughts, storms, floods and extreme temperatures. However, deaths fell from over 50, 000 in the 1970s to less than 20, 000 in the 2010s.

“Weather, climate and water extremes are increasing and will become more frequent and severe in many parts of the world as a result of climate change,” says WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

“That means more heat waves, drought and forest fires such as those we have observed recently in Europe and North America. We have more water vapor in the atmosphere, which is worsening extreme rainfall and deadly flooding. The warming of the oceans has affected the frequency and area of existence of the most intense tropical storms.”

“Economic losses are increasing as exposure increases. But behind the statistics lies a message of hope. Improved multi-hazard early warning systems have led to a significant reduction in deaths. Quite simply, we are better than ever before at saving lives,” Taalas said.

How to stay safe when an earthquake happens

What should you do when an earthquake comes about unexpectedly? Here are some tips for you.

●When walking outside

【小题1】 Signs, broken windows, tools, building materials and so on are all probably come down to you from overhead. Protect your head with your bag or coat and keep at a distance from tall buildings. Stone walls and pillars can also fall down and are probably dangerous.

●When driving a car

Firmly hold the steering wheel（方向盘）, gradually reduce speed, park your car on the side of the road, and stop the engine. 【小题2】 If you need to evacuate（撤出）, leave your keys, keep the door unlocked, and walk away with your car documents and valuables.

●When underground or in a subway

The shaking you feel when you are underground is about half of what you would experience over ground. 【小题3】 Calmly evacuate, following instructions from shop clerks and subway staff.

●When in a high-rise building

【小题4】 Immediately leave the elevator. If you get trapped in the elevator, use the fixed telephone to get in touch with someone outside and wait for rescue. When you evacuate from buildings, never use elevators, listen to announcements and use the stairs to leave the building.

●When near the ocean

Head for higher ground and carefully listen to tsunami（海啸） information. Do not go near the ocean until tsunami warnings have been cleared. 【小题5】

As flood waters drown the New South Wales mid-north coast, residents are hurriedly taking whatever is still undamaged and preparing for the rising tide.

Horses and livestock were seen floating along rivers and washing up on beaches on Sunday, as the region faced a once in a lifetime flood.

Greg Cox, who lives in Raymond Terrace north of Newcastle, was watching the water slowly rise around his property on Sunday morning. “I think it could get a whole lot worse before it gets any better,” he said. “It’s pouring rain here now, and it’s predicted to keep that up in the next 48 hours. “It’s devastating. Our whole backyard is underwater, I’ve never ever seen anything like this, and I was speaking to my landlord today and he also said he’d never seen anything like this before.”

Alistair Flower, a businessman and hotel owner told Guardian Australia he and his staff had been working hard to protect one of his places.

“We’ve seen that the water is rising, and unfortunately the flooding has gotten into the basement and the bottle shop,” he said. “We’ve been able to pump some water out, but it felt like a bit of a losing battle at times. Talking to a lot of regulars, they tell us this has surpassed the last great flood in the 60s. I think this has surpassed everything. I went out to our jetty（码头）, and looked back on our neighbor, and it looked like a cow had floated down the river. Thankfully, they had a pool, which doesn’t have a fence line in front of it, allowing the cow to come in.”

The loss of livestock has been so great that a Facebook group has been established to help people find their lost animals.