2023-07-25 12:08:00
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The heat waves that have hit Europe and the United States this July would have been “virtually impossible” without human-induced climate change.
Video: Why does it hail when it’s hot?
This is the conclusion of a study conducted by the World Weather Attribution (WWA), an academic collaboration that uses weather observations and climate models to estimate how climate change influences the intensity and likelihood of extreme weather events.
This finding is part of a new study that underscores the essential role that global warming, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, has played in generating these extreme heat events.
The world has warmed 1.1ºC
The experts reached these conclusions by simulating a world without the effects of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere and comparing it with the actual temperatures observed during heat waves.
The research, carried out by an international group of scientists, thus suggests that climate change intensified the heat wave in southern Europe by 2.5°C. In addition, they concluded that the heat wave in North America was 2°C hotter, and in China it was 1°C hotter.
Total, the world has warmed 1.1ºC since the pre-industrial period, before humans started burning fossil fuels. It is also suggested that climate change also made a heat wave that affected parts of China 50 times more likely.
These events will occur every 2-5 years
Scientists warn that if the temperature rise reaches 2°C, which is highly likely given that many countries are not cutting emissions fast enough, these events will occur every 2 to 5 years.
The research also considered the role of the El Niño phenomenon, a natural weather fluctuation that began in June and contributes to rising global temperatures. However, they concluded that while El Niño likely played a small role, the main driver of these more intense heat waves is rising temperatures due to the burning of fossil fuels.
temperature records
The catastrophic conclusions of this study They come amid a series of climate records that have fallen in recent weeks.. Including global average temperatures and sea surface temperatures, especially in the North Atlantic, as well as the devastating fires in Greece, as the hot and dry weather has created conditions for fires to spread more easily.
Cordon Press
Tourists at the Colosseum in Rome amid Europe’s July heat wave.
Almost all societies lack preparation and sufficient means to deal with this type of extreme heat event. According to another study, more than 61,000 people died of heat-related causes during last year’s heat waves in Europe.
The color of the ocean is changing due to climate change
Therefore, not only must action be taken to mitigate climate change, but urgent measures must be implemented so that Societies adapt to this new scenario of higher global temperatures.
Among other things, countries will need to build heat-resistant housing, create “cooling centers” for people to find shelter and find ways to cool cities, such as planting more trees. In addition, it is crucial to ensure the availability of active cooling devices such as air conditioners and fans, and the ability of power grids to handle an increase in demand.
We are heading straight into a new world and there is no choice but to adapt while trying to slow down change.
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