The month of June has become a nightmare for Europe. The entire continent is in the grip of a deadly heat dome, which has broken all previous heat records. From Britain to France, Spain and Italy, there is an outcry. The situation is so bad that 212 people in Spain and 5 in Italy have died due to the heat, while in France, 40 people who went swimming to get relief from the heat drowned. A total of 257 deaths have been confirmed and more than 14 countries are currently on red alert.
Scientists have made it clear that this is not a normal seasonal change. The seasonal change ‘El Nino’ occurring in the Pacific Ocean has nothing to do with this heat. According to a new study, this kind of heat would have been almost impossible without climate change. Let us understand why this ‘heat emergency’ has occurred in Europe and what are the real reasons behind it.
1. Record breaking heat: Situation out of control in France and Britain
This week’s heat has shattered all records set by the infamous heatwaves of 1976 and 2003.
- France’s hottest day and night: According to the French Meteorological Department, Wednesday was the hottest day in the history of the country. The average national temperature was recorded at 30°C. Whereas in Palluau city of western France the mercury reached 43.8°C. Not only this, Wednesday night was the hottest night in the history of France, when the average temperature was 38.5°C.
- Scorching heat in Britain: Britain broke its June maximum temperature record for two consecutive days. The temperature in Merryfield, Somerset, was recorded at 36.7°C, breaking previous records set in 1976 and 1957.
2. Climate change is the real culprit
Scientists from Imperial College London and World Weather Attribution (WWA) analyzed this heatwave, the results of which are scary.
- This was impossible 50 years ago: Scientists say that the climate change caused by indiscriminate use of fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) is completely responsible for this heat. If the same weather had come in 1976, the day temperature would have been 3.5°C lower than today.
- 100 times more risk: Today’s suffocating nights are expected to be 100 times worse than in 2003. More than 70,000 people died in Europe in the 2003 heatwave.
- El Nino has no role: Scientists made it clear that the seasonal change ‘El Nino’ occurring in the Pacific Ocean has nothing to do with this heat. This is a crisis completely created by humans.
3. Increased risk of heat stroke
The deadly combination of heat and humidity has become a problem for people. According to the report, 850 cities from 30 European countries were analyzed. Out of these, 45% cities have broken the record of their ‘wet bulb globe temperature’.
What is wet bulb temperature?
It is a combined measure of heat, humidity, wind and sunlight. This tells us how much our body can keep itself cool. When it increases, the body stops sweating, which can lead to dizziness, heatstroke and organ failure, which ultimately leads to death.
4. Life is disrupted
This unexpected heat has stopped the pace of Europe. Thousands of schools have been closed. Train services have had to be canceled or slowed down because of the danger of the tracks melting. There are huge power cuts in many countries. Tourist places have been closed. Forest fire alert has been issued in France due to drought.
5. What will happen next?
Europe has become the fastest warming continent in the world. WWA co-founder and climate scientist Friederike Otto has warned about this. Otto says that at the level of 1.4°C of global warming, the heat is crossing the limits of our tolerance. If we do not reduce the use of fossil fuels as soon as possible, this heat will become more prolonged and deadly in the coming years. Nature is giving us a clear warning. We have to choose what kind of future we want.
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