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THE WORLD WILL have to learn to live with heatwaves, the United Nations’ weather and climate agency has said, as much of Europe roasts in high temperatures.
The World Meteorological Organization said that in future, people could expect heatwaves to occur more often and be more intense because of human-induced climate change.
WMO spokeswoman Clare Nullis said July was traditionally the hottest month of the year in the northern hemisphere, but it was exceptional, though not entirely unprecedented, to have episodes of extreme heat this early in the summer.
The WMO said early warnings and coordinated action plans were crucial to protect public safety, and meteorologists were getting better at both.
“As a result of human-induced climate change, extreme heat is becoming more frequent, more intense. It’s something we have to learn to live with,” Nullis said.
She added: “What can we expect in the future? More of the same, even worse.”
She said extreme heat is “the silent killer”, with the death toll often under-reflected in official statistics.
“It’s important to stress that every single death from heat is unnecessary: we have the knowledge, we have the tools; we can save lives,” she said.
Western Europe is sweltering under the influence of a strong high pressure system, Nullis told a press briefing in Geneva.
“This is trapping hot air from northern Africa over the region, and as we can see it’s having a pretty big impact on the way we feel and the way we are acting,” she said.
A major factor in the heatwave is the exceptional sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean.
“It’s the equivalent of a land heatwave. The Mediterranean Sea is suffering a pretty extreme marine heatwave right now, and that tends to reinforce the extreme temperatures over land areas,” Nullis said.
She said the urban heat island effect was exaggerating the situation in cities, with a lack of greenery to absorb the heat and concrete surfaces reflecting it.
Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said its national teams had mobilised across Europe to help people cope.
“Volunteers are giving out water and checking on the most vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness, older people, and outdoor workers,” IFRC spokesman Tommaso Della Longa told the briefing.
“Extreme heat doesn’t have to be a disaster: knowledge, preparedness and early action make all the difference.”
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Climate being changing since the earth was formed…get busy living.
@Bri Lye: We have to learn to live with it (as the article points out) but also try to mitigate it.
Brendan O’Brien Is the Journal’s climate change Tsar, He brands anyone that’s not part of his cult a conspiracy theorist. I’d say he has a white Prius and a heat pump.
@087 bed: Science is not a cult. Real-world events such as extreme heatwaves are not a cult.
@Brendan O’Brien: wow, you actually posted that gar bage.
@Bri Lye: nice fresh 17 deg here. No worries
Quick, more taxes should solve the issue….
@Matt D: if we heavily taxed the most polluting things that we consume it would definitely help as people would not be able to consume as much of them
@eoin fitzpatrick: But that is already being done, is it helping?
@John Mellonhead: what is being taxed so much that people are consuming less if it? More cars on the roads than ever, more flights, etc.
@eoin fitzpatrick: on your bike Eoin
The Journal’s self-appointed experts won’t like to be told this.
@Brendan O’Brien: ironic coming from a selfie-appointed journal expert. You’re always quick to have your say when it comes to climate change, what exactly makes you qualified enough to give your opinion?
@Brendan O’Brien: as you are
@Ger Whelan: I have never claimed to be an expert on anything. I am a respecter of expertise.
@Brendan O’Brien: so called “experts”. Corrupt pseudoscience pushers who buLLY anyone (including politicians) who do not follow their sinister agenda.
@Des Daly: Utter nonsense. You really believe that greenhouse gases we generate don’t contribute to climate change?
Do you have evidence of the ‘sinister agenda’?
@Brendan O’Brien: have you evidence (you know EVIDENCE other than parroted non-sense from your “science” idols) ?
@Brendan O’Brien: go on. Show me a TESTED in real life ‘scientific method’ adhered to experiment that proves this greenhouse link to climate change?
@Des Daly: Check this out, for example.
@Brendan O’Brien: where is the direct , proven evidence in that link ? Loads of observations and then wild jumping to their own conclusions (without even bothering with forming Hypotheses) . This is what I’m talking about. Made up pseudoscience.
@Des Daly: It wouldn’t matter how many scientific studies that you could be shown, you’d just claim the same.
Why have that surety of belief, when around 98% of actual experts with related degrees in meteorology, climatology, oceanography etc.. have a consensus ?.
@Des Daly: the cognitive dissonance is strong with this one ^
Good thing we got the guys on the journal comments downplaying climate change sure they know more about science than scientists cause they learnt from auld joe down the road
I’m in the south of France. It’s hot but it’s lovely. 34 degrees. Nice wind this afternoon. I presume it’s hotter in the cities…lovely here
@N.F. Court:
You just wrote that to tell us you’re in the South of France… Fecker ;)
no need to be an expert from UN or anywhere
let’s be honest … do you recall snow every winter when you was a kid and rarely now ?
is that not an obvious thing ?
@Dominic Leleu: 3 weeks humidity no sun and just clouds I never remember that.
Plant more trees in our cities!
But the Woke Supremacists should be in favour of hotter cities, as it will make our recently arrived sub saharan engineers and doctors feel more welcome!
Get this one a Nobel prize for journalism. Currently normal temperatures across Europe for this time of year, and yes the climate changing, a constant state of change. And no, more taxes won’t actually stop it from changing. Saying we can stop climate is quite similar to saying the world is flat. So nothing new here.
@Jack: no, temperatures are higher than normal in France, Spain, Portugal, etc., for this time of year.
34°C in London. I think the magic number for humid climates is 31°C. Stay indoors, cool your environment, and maybe check in on any elders.
tunny I’m camping in Germany at the moment. hit 32 today. I was in toulouse In 2000 it hit 40 it’s due to cool down across Germany and france. not too many complaining.
*been
We do live with it, don’t we?
have your say