Europe’s record heat wave will become summer norm by 2035
Global warming
2 minutes
2022.08.25
As global climate warms, expect more heat, fires and droughts each year, study finds
As global climate warms, expect more heat, fires and droughts each year, study finds
People standing in front of the ruins of the 11th-century Church of Sant Roma de Sau
Photo credit: AFP
Europe’s record heatwave will be nothing more than an average summer in 15 years. Even if countries meet their climate goals, periodic droughts and fires will become the norm.
By the end of the century, typical summer temperatures will be more than 4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, more than double the target of 1.5 degrees Celsius set in the Paris Agreement, according to a report by the Met Office’s Hadley Center. It says.
The Climate Crisis Advisory Group, the international coalition of scientists who commissioned the report, has called for rapid reductions in global warming emissions, steps to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and plans to refreeze the Arctic Ocean. I asked. The most extreme warming ever.
“The weather in Europe is projected to be even more extreme than this summer, and the situation will get worse,” CCAG Chairman David King said in a statement. “This data does not fully explain the instability in the Arctic, which we know is a global tipping point that could have major implications for the entire planet.”
The future of the Arctic is one of the key uncertainties for scientists trying to predict climate change.
The report comes amid concerns about a global setback in tackling climate change as governments grapple with record energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
For example, according to the International Energy Agency, global coal consumption is set to hit a record high this year, and the European Union’s use of polluting fuels is expected to increase by 7%.
At the same time, rising temperatures mean Europe is facing perhaps its worst drought in 500 years, according to the EU’s Collaborative Research Center.
It has already had many ramifications, from ruined harvests to major rivers such as the Rhine becoming impassable for freight traffic, disrupting European supply chains and adding to already skyrocketing inflation. At the same time, wildfires in France, Spain, Portugal and Romania have devoured an area roughly one-fifth the size of Belgium.
The EU’s long-term emissions reduction plan is largely on track, with the EU aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere by 55% by the end of 2010. Globally, countries will meet in Egypt in November to discuss ways to meet tougher climate targets.
The concern is that it will not be enough to prevent further extreme warming scenarios.
“The risk of extreme weather events such as fires, droughts and flash floods will continue to rise rapidly unless greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced,” said Peter Stott, a scientist at the Japan Meteorological Agency.
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