Two months ago, France experienced its hottest May on record. Last month, France was hit again by a spring heatwave that also affected Spain, Italy, and neighboring countries. Then, this month, Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe experienced yet another extreme heatwave.
Now, temperatures across Europe are soaring again, at or near triple digits, affecting countries from Spain to the United Kingdom and spreading eastward. Wildfires are raging in many countries, and much of the continent might experience a lengthy drought.
Scientists say the persistent extreme heat this year is keeping with a trend. Heatwaves in Europe are increasing in frequency and intensity at a faster rate than almost any other part of the planet, including the Western United States.
Global warming plays a role in the increasing temperatures around the world. Temperatures are, on average, about 2 degrees Fahrenheit higher than they were in the late 19th century due to emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gasses. But beyond that, there are many other factors, some involving the circulation of the atmosphere and the ocean, that may make Europe a heat wave hot spot.
The current temperatures that reached into England and Wales on Monday were caused in part by a region of upper-level low-pressure air that has been stopped off the coast of Portugal for days. Low-pressure zones tend to draw air toward them. In this case, the low-pressure zone has been drawing air from North Africa toward it and into Europe. “It’s pumping hot air northward,” said Kai Kornhuber, a researcher at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
Natural climate variability, however, can make it difficult to tease out specific influences as to why this is happening, Efi Rousi, a senior scientist at Potsdam Institute for Climate Research, mentioned.
There may be many other reasons Europe is seeing more, and more persistent, heat waves, although some of these are currently debated among scientists.
Link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/19/climate/europe-heat-wave-science.html
Now, temperatures across Europe are soaring again, at or near triple digits, affecting countries from Spain to the United Kingdom and spreading eastward. Wildfires are raging in many countries, and much of the continent might experience a lengthy drought.
Scientists say the persistent extreme heat this year is keeping with a trend. Heatwaves in Europe are increasing in frequency and intensity at a faster rate than almost any other part of the planet, including the Western United States.
Global warming plays a role in the increasing temperatures around the world. Temperatures are, on average, about 2 degrees Fahrenheit higher than they were in the late 19th century due to emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gasses. But beyond that, there are many other factors, some involving the circulation of the atmosphere and the ocean, that may make Europe a heat wave hot spot.
The current temperatures that reached into England and Wales on Monday were caused in part by a region of upper-level low-pressure air that has been stopped off the coast of Portugal for days. Low-pressure zones tend to draw air toward them. In this case, the low-pressure zone has been drawing air from North Africa toward it and into Europe. “It’s pumping hot air northward,” said Kai Kornhuber, a researcher at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
Natural climate variability, however, can make it difficult to tease out specific influences as to why this is happening, Efi Rousi, a senior scientist at Potsdam Institute for Climate Research, mentioned.
There may be many other reasons Europe is seeing more, and more persistent, heat waves, although some of these are currently debated among scientists.
Link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/19/climate/europe-heat-wave-science.html
