Heat. Forest fires. Torrential rains. Typhoons and hurricanes. Much of the Northern Hemisphere was hit by extreme weather conditions this summer.
It may take scientists a while to figure out what exactly is going on.
Not all of these phenomena can be directly related to climate change; The planet’s natural weather and climate systems are powerful and affect the climate as well.
But in recent weeks important meteorological records have been reached in a short time, which worries experts.
These are some of the data that reflect the magnitude of what happened on Earth this boreal summer. Let’s see how it connects to climate change.
1. Record heat in 74% of the UK
In the UK, the balmy days of early summer may seem like a distant memory after weeks of unsettled weather, but this year the Brits recorded the hottest June in history.
The average temperature -counting both the days and the coolest nights- was 15.8°C. This mark exceeded the previous record by 0.9°C, which is a significant leap in climatic terms.
Record figures were reached in 72 of the 97 areas in the UK where temperature data is collected.
The Met Office scientists said climate change makes the chance of breaking the previous record at least twice as likely.
In the first week of July, he planet experienced the hottest day on recordthe day that the global average temperature reached 17.23°Cwhich broke the previous 2016 record of 16.92°C.
2. 1 megatonne of CO2e* emitted by forest fires
In the Mediterranean, millions of people got an up-close look at what extreme heat feels like when two searing heat waves, called Cerberus and Charonnamed after menacing figures from ancient Greek mythology, struck countries across the region.
In Italyin all the cities it was declared Red alert. In Rome, tourists fainted in temperatures above 40°C.
The Acropolis of Athens, Greece’s most popular tourist attraction, had to close to protect visitors from the deadly heat.
In Algeria and Tunisia temperatures reached 48°C.
In turn, the heat created the dry conditions necessary for the wildfires that raged in the Mediterranean.
In the case of Greecethe big fires that occurred from July 1 to 25 emitted one million tons of carbon dioxide, the most recorded for any July wildfire in the country.
* CO2e is a calculation of carbon emissions that includes greenhouse gases such as methane.
Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group, who analyze the role of global warming in extreme weather events, after studying the data concluded that the heat waves would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change human induced.
The warming of the atmosphere, due to the burning of fossil fuels, made the heat wave in southern Europe 2.5°C hotter than in the past.
Scientists believe that The boy that started in June could do may this year be the hottest in history.
This powerful natural phenomenon, which is linked to higher temperatures, occurs every two to seven years when warm water rises to the surface in the Pacific off the coast of South America.
3. $15 billion loss from Typhoon Doksuri
While millions of people were desperate for relief from the heat, on July 26 china and philippines they were hit by torrential rains and ferocious winds that reached records.
Typhoon Doksuri battered cities and coastlines across East Asia for a week.
More than a million people were evacuated when the winds reached 240 km/hr. In Beijing, the capital of China, the amount of rain that fell broke the record of the last 140 years.
The floods damaged roads and bridges, submerged cars and destroyed construction sites.
In the Philippines, at least 26 passengers on a ferry died near Manila when they piled to the side of the boat as it was listing in the wind, causing it to capsize.
Warmer temperatures provide more favorable conditions for these types of storms.
In the months leading up to the typhoon, China, South Korea and other parts of East Asia had experienced record heat.
Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said climate change made China’s July heat wave 50 times more likely that it happened
4, 388 people dead or missing
The island of Maui, in hawaiifaced on August 8 to a fire that turned into a death trap.
In the coastal city of Lahaina, residents said warning sirens did not go off. Some fled into the ocean to try to save themselves from the rapidly advancing flames.
Much of the island was in the midst of a drought that made dry vegetation provide the ideal fuel for the flames to spread, fanned by strong winds from a hurricane that passed around the same time.
The complex combination of human structures and land management in Hawaii means that while climate change may have contributed to the fire, it is unclear to what extent it played a key role, according to climate scientists and fire experts.
5. 15.6 million hectares burned in forest fires in Canada
A few days later, on August 19, the fire season that had started unusually early in eastern Canada swept through the western province of British Columbia.
For this reason, the authorities ordered the evacuation of some 15,000 homes, while hundreds of kilometers to the north, a huge fire threatened the city of Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories.
So far in Canada some 15.6 million hectares have burned, an area larger than that of the state of New York or England.
Right now, at least 1,000 fires are still burning, while Canada experiences its worst forest fire season.
The way humans manage forests is a major contributor to fires, but climate change is also fueling the conditions for blazes to take hold: it dries up vegetation, causes earlier melting of snow, and warms the ground than before. it was too cold for fires.
Scientists predict that as global warming intensifies, forest fires will become more powerful.
A study by the group World Weather Attribution found that climate change made the hot, dry and windy conditions that caused wildfires in Quebec at least twice as likely and 20% to 50% more intense.
6. 26 million people at risk of flooding in California
On August 21, California, a US state that is often prepared for wildfires, experienced its first tropical storm in 84 years.
Hurricane Hilary, a former hurricane, made landfall in northern Mexico, killing at least one person when a family of five was swept into the sea before moving toward California.
Some 26 million people in the state were at risk of flooding and 25,000 homes in Los Angeles lost power as the storm advanced.
Palm Springs had the heaviest hour of rain ever recorded in the city, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. In Death Valley, floodwaters filled the iconic dry landscape with water, turning its valleys into rushing rivers.
It’s too early to say whether climate change increased the chances of this storm happening, but scientists anticipate that higher temperatures will cause stronger hurricanes in the future, as more heat in the oceans creates more energy for the storms.
The planet’s waters were hotter than ever this summer, as a powerful marine heat wave broke the average global temperature record.
Accumulated heat on the surface of the oceans may have helped drive strong Atlantic hurricanes in late August.
Storm Hilary is a reminder that the year isn’t over yet: Atlantic hurricane season has just begun and is projected to be stronger than usual.
The impact of extreme weather in different countries is a reminder that the response of humans is vital.
The UN and leading climate scientists have again urged governments to keep their promises to urgently address the climate crisis.
Scientists say what has happened these past few months is a sign of things to come as climate change worsens.
Keep reading:
* Why the increase in temperature on Earth can cause more earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
* NASA warns that in 2024 higher temperatures will be recorded than those experienced in 2023
* The UN warns that the planet is in a “boiling state”
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