Depending on where you live, you may think you have a pretty good idea of what bad weather feels like.
However, with record-breaking heatwaves and devastating floods experienced just this year, most scientists agree that climate change is making weather more extreme.
To help raise awareness of this, the world’s first public storm simulator has been launched in Nordborg, Denmark.
‘Beat the Storm‘ is comprised of two simulators that allow people to experience an up to a category II hurricane, that has winds of over 100 mph (160km/h).
Troels Nim Andersen, Project Manager at Universe Science Park where the simulators are located, said: ‘Beat the Storm engages people at all ages, allowing them to experience senses that can’t be experienced in any other way.’
‘Beat the Storm’ is comprised of two simulators that allow people to experience an up to a category II hurricane, that has winds of over 100 mph (160km/h)
Suitable for people aged 5 to 80, the activity also aims educate individuals on the perils and consequences of navigating hurricanes
He added: ‘This activity is a way to explore the wind and raise interest about this element of nature – and everyone loves it!
‘Our aim has always been to make science fun and, in doing so, inspire our visitors to become explorers and problem-solvers.’
Research suggests that more tropical cyclones are going to strike populous mid-latitude cities like Beijing, New York and Tokyo as a result of rising temperatures.
Plus, scientists have found that the record-breaking rainfall that caused flooding across Germany and Belgium in July was made up to nine times more likely by climate change.
A damning ‘United In Science’ global climate assessment from the World Meteorological Association was also released in September.
It revealed that the world is experiencing increasingly high global temperatures and destructive climate-driven floods, droughts and heatwaves.
According to Tom Knutson, senior scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, while a warmer climate may not increase storm frequency, the ones that do form have a greater chance of becoming stronger.
Special effects can place visitors in cities, mountains, forest or deserts, while they try to make themselves as aerodynamic as possible
It pits participants against increasingly strong winds while they make their way through a wind tunnel to push a button at the other end
The Beat the Storm activity aims to raise awareness of climate-driven extreme weather by offering a firsthand experience of the high winds of a Category II storm
The Beat the Storm activity aims to raise awareness of climate-driven extreme weather by offering a firsthand experience of the high winds of a Category II storm.
Suitable for people aged 5 to 80, the activity also educates individuals on the perils and consequences of navigating hurricanes.
It pits participants against increasingly strong winds while they make their way through a wind tunnel to push a button at the other end.
Special effects can place visitors in cities, mountains, forest or deserts, while they try to make themselves as aerodynamic as possible.
They can also learn about the science of storms, with information about aerodynamics, wind energy and physics.
The attraction was invented by Storm Adventures Ltd, whose founder is an athlete in wind sports disciplines, such as Wingsuit Skydive.
Ingus Augstkalns, Founder of Beat the Storm, said: ‘We plan to build 100+ of such storm simulators across the world to allow visitors of science and entertainment centres, amusement parks, and other places to experience wind, starting from a breeze of 22 mph (35km/h) for kids, up to a category II hurricane.’
To help raise awareness of climate change-induced extreme weather, the world’s first public storm simulator has been launched at Universe Science Park in Nordborg, Denmark
