The northern hemisphere is suffocating. Heat waves hit Europe and North America in early July, with temperatures exceeding 45°C. This phenomenon would have been “almost impossible” without human-caused global warming, establishes a World Weather Attribution study (WWA), published Tuesday, July 25. In China, climate change has made hot weather 50 times more likely.
By comparing the climate of today, warmed by human activities, with that of the past in the three regions studied, seven researchers affirm that “climate change has dramatically increased the risk of heat waves like these”, can we read in a press release. If the participation of the natural phenomenon El Niño contributed to the intensification of these heat waves, “rising global temperatures from burning fossil fuels are the main reason why heat waves are so severe”says the WWA.
“The role of global warming is absolutely damning.”
Friederike Otto, British climatologist and co-author of the studyat a press conference
“The results of this attribution study come as no surprise. The world hasn’t stopped burning fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas)the climate continues to warm and heat waves continue to become more extreme”continues climatologist Friederike Otto, also co-founder of the WWA.
Extreme events that are no longer “rare”
The study is not just a reminder that these heat waves are indeed caused by global warming. She claims that they “are no longer rare”. “In the past, these events would have been extremely rare, let’s say impossible”, explains Friederike Otto. Now, they are expected on average once every 15 years in North America, once every 10 years in Europe and once every five years in China.
And the trend is going to worsen. If the global temperature rise reaches +2°C, as current IPCC scenarios foresee it by the end of the century, “These kinds of events will become even more frequent, occurring every 2-5 years”, writes the WWA. Exit from fossil fuels, help for the most vulnerable in the face of heat, warning systems… The group of experts calls for action. “There are growing heat-related risks. It’s deadly. It’s crucial to address them”warns Julie Arrighi, co-author of the study.