Andrea's Blog

Earlier this year, the Maldives experienced some of their hottest days of the year and recent history. Some parts of the country were or felt as hot as 40 degrees Celsius, which can be quite unusual as the average temperature is around the mid-30's. For example, places like Hulhule, Male, and Gaafu Dhaalu all reached feel-like temperatures ranging from 43 to 48 degrees C, which are some records for the country. In the beginning months of the year, the low winds, clear skies, and high humidity all contributed to the temperature feeling hotter than what it really was. Global warming is also a contributing factor to this extreme heat. As the Earth warms, so do the weather conditions.           The Maldives Meterological Service as well as the authorities had a few ways for the public to prepare and protect themselves from the excessive heat. Heat related illnesses are quite serious and can lead someone to experience fatigue, dizziness, dehydration, and even de...

Mass wasting is the downslope movement of a mass of sediment and/or rock due mainly to the force of gravity. The "mass" refers to the downward movement of sediment or rock, and the "wasting" refers to cliffs or mountain slopes diminishing or wasting away. This can happen in different forms, including landslides, avalanches, mudflows, and rockfalls. While mass wasting events don't necessarily need a "trigger" for them to happen and can instead happen just unexpectedly, common causes are heavy rainfall, earthquakes, rapid erosion, or droughts. Considering all of these components, the Maldives is a country with circumstances that make these things quite unlikely to happen. While the Maldives is no stranger to things like flooding or other natural disasters, they do not experience the hazards that would be considered a "mass wasting event." As a main part of this hazard requires there to be mountain slopes or some type of elevated ground, the Mal...