Climate change has made the deadly and prolonged heatwaves experienced in North America and Europe over the past month “virtually impossible” without its influence, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution network. The analysis compared weather data and computer model simulations to determine the impact of climate change on extreme weather events. The study found the heatwaves experienced in the US Southwest, southern Europe and China this month would have had little chance of happening without global warming. The research supports the growing consensus among scientists that as the world warms, such events will become more frequent and severe.
The study focused on heatwaves that occurred this month and found that human-induced greenhouse gas emissions caused the heatwaves to be over twice as severe as they would otherwise have been. The authors of the study said that the global warming effects on heatwaves are more significant than the impacts of climate patterns such as El Niño. However, the researchers also emphasised that their findings were limited to a specific set of events and further research is necessary.
The study’s findings are consistent with those of previous research conducted by the World Weather Attribution network, which has found that numerous extreme weather events have been made more likely and more intense by climate change. The impacts of this month’s heatwaves have been devastating, leading to numerous deaths and hospitalisations, extreme demand on electricity grids, and threats to crops, wildlife and vulnerable populations.
The need for adaptation and mitigation efforts in response to extreme heat events was emphasised by the authors of the study. They called for a cultural shift in how societies think about heatwaves and for plans to be put in place to protect people from such events. The findings also underscored the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as heatwaves will continue to increase in frequency and severity if global warming is not curbed.