Kathmandu. Many European countries are currently experiencing extreme heat. In Britain, France and other countries, temperatures in June have broken many previous records.
Scientists say this year’s temperature would be almost impossible without climate change. According to them, the risk of dangerous night temperatures has increased almost 100-fold in the last 20 years. “If global temperatures continue to rise at this rate, it could get worse in the coming years,” they warned.
According to the scientists, the areas studied had never experienced such extreme temperatures before in June. The UK recorded its highest temperature of the month of June. In many areas, the heat has caused deaths, power outages and school closures. “If this had been the case in 1976, it would have been about 3.5 degrees Celsius lower than it is today,” they said.
More than 800 cities affected
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The scientists examined data from more than 800 European cities. About 45 per cent of these cities experienced or are projected to experience the hottest heat at the end of June. When the body is unable to cool itself through sweat, heat stress increases the risk of heat stroke and other problems.
The biggest problem this time is that the temperature remains high even at night. The weather is generally cool at night. Which provides comfort. But that’s not the case this time.
Night temperatures in many parts of France remained above 20 degrees Celsius for more than a week. In some places, the temperature reached as high as 30 degrees Fahrenheit [30 degrees Fahrenheit] at night.
Is El Niño causation?
Normally, El Niño raises temperatures in many parts of the world. However, scientists say that El Niño is not a major factor in Europe’s record heat this time. They believe that climate change is the primary cause.
Greenhouse gases emitted by fuels such as coal, oil and gas continue to raise the Earth’s temperature. For this reason, the average temperature of the world has increased by about 1.4 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times.
According to scientists, if greenhouse gases are not reduced, there will be more such heat waves in the coming years. They also said that more than 60,000 people died due to heat waves in Europe in 2022. Therefore, such heat should not be taken lightly.
This record heat in Europe is not the only problem today. Scientists say that this is a clear sign of climate change. If action isn’t taken now, record-breaking heat waves could become more common in many parts of the world in the future. —Agency
