Deadly Heatwave Strikes Europe Again, Scientists Blame Climate Crisis
The heatwave affecting Western Europe has been described as the most severe and most widespread in recorded history. Scientists state that the event would have been impossible without the climate crisis triggered by the burning of fossil fuels.
A study also shows that nearly half of the 850 largest cities in Europe experienced the highest levels of heat stress ever recorded. This condition is a combination of extremely high air temperatures and increased humidity. High humidity levels make sweat evaporation less effective at cooling the body, thereby increasing the risk of health problems from the heatwave.
The study was released as the United Kingdom recorded its highest ever temperature for June, at 36.7 degrees Celsius in Somerset. Meanwhile, several Western European countries reported a surge in medical emergencies, including fatalities. In the summer of 2022, more than 60,000 people died due to heatwaves in Europe. Scientists say statistical analysis of this year’s heatwave impact will take time, but they are confident the toll will be significant.
The heatwave has also disrupted public activities, ranging from school closures and pressure on hospital services to the cancellation of train journeys and flights in various European countries.
According to the latest analysis released by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) consortium, extreme heat is worsening rapidly as carbon emissions in the atmosphere increase. The research indicates that if a similar event had occurred in 2003, the heatwave temperature would have been about two degrees Celsius lower than it is today. Compared to the major heatwave of 1976, current temperatures are approximately 3.5 degrees Celsius higher.
Scientists also found that extremely hot night-time temperatures, which disrupt people’s rest, are now about 100 times more likely than in 2003. They cautioned that without accelerated efforts to control climate change, future heatwaves will become more extreme, making this summer seem relatively cool by comparison.
Dr Theodore Keeping, an extreme weather researcher at Imperial College London and a member of the WWA, said the current heatwave is the most severe and widespread ever to hit the European region. “In the last 50 years, as the Earth’s average temperature has risen by about 1.1 degrees Celsius, the chance of such a heatwave occurring has increased dramatically. This event would not have been possible in June without climate change,” he said.