{"id":9819,"date":"2023-08-15T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=9819"},"modified":"2023-08-03T16:12:41","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T16:12:41","slug":"european-heatwave-whats-causing-it-and-is-climate-change-to-blame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/european-heatwave-whats-causing-it-and-is-climate-change-to-blame\/","title":{"rendered":"European heatwave: what\u2019s causing it and is climate change to blame?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n \n
\n Blistering temperatures are spreading across southern and eastern Europe.\n Massimo Todaro\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\nEmma Hill<\/a>, Coventry University<\/a><\/em> and Ben Vivian<\/a>, Coventry University<\/a><\/em><\/span>\n\n

Europe is currently in the midst of a heatwave. Italy, in particular, is expected to face blistering heat, with temperatures projected to reach 40\u2103 to 45\u2103<\/a>. There\u2019s even a chance that the current European temperature record of 48.8\u2103, set in Sicily in 2021, could be surpassed.<\/p>\n\n

Searing temperatures have spread to other countries in southern and eastern Europe, including France, Spain, Poland and Greece. The heat will complicate the travel plans of those heading to popular holiday destinations across the region.<\/p>\n\n

Heatwaves, which are defined<\/a> as prolonged periods of exceptionally hot weather in a specific location, can be extremely dangerous. Europe has experienced its fair share of devastating heatwaves in the past. <\/p>\n\n

In 2003, a heatwave swept across Europe, claiming the lives of over 70,000 people<\/a>. Then, in 2022, another heatwave hit Europe, resulting in the deaths of almost 62,000 people<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

The current heatwave is being caused by an anticyclone<\/a> named Cerberus after the three-headed monster-dog that guards the gates of the underworld in Greek mythology. An anticyclone \u2013 or high-pressure system \u2013 is a normal meteorological phenomenon in which sinking air from the upper atmosphere brings about a period of dry and settled weather with limited cloud formation and little wind. <\/p>\n\n

High-pressure systems tend to be slow moving, which is why they persist for days, or even weeks at a time. They often become semi-permanent features over large areas of land. When high pressure systems form over hot land, in regions like the Sahara, the stability of the system generates even hotter temperatures because the already warm air is heated even more. <\/p>\n\n

Eventually, the anticyclone will weaken or break down and the heatwave will come to an end. According to the Italian Meteorological Society<\/a>, the Cerberus heatwave is expected to persist for around two weeks.<\/p>\n\n

\n \"A<\/a>\n
\n July 10 2023: land surface temperatures across Europe.<\/span>\n ESA\/Copernicus Sentinel data (2023)<\/a>, CC BY-NC-SA<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n

What role does climate change play?<\/h2>\n\n

High pressure systems, like the one currently affecting Europe, have been expanding northwards in recent years. It\u2019s difficult to ascribe a single event, such as a heatwave, directly to climate change. But as temperatures continue to warm, we are seeing changes in atmospheric circulation patterns<\/a> that can lead to increased occurrences of extreme temperatures and drought in Europe. <\/p>\n\n

Research<\/a> by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change confirms this trend. Its data shows an increase in the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events since the 1950s. A separate analysis<\/a> of European heatwaves revealed an increasing severity of such events over the past two decades.<\/p>\n\n

In the summer of 2022, southern Europe experienced higher temperatures than usual for that time of the year. Spain, France and Italy<\/a> saw daily maximum temperatures exceed 40\u00b0C. The EU\u2019s Copernicus Climate Change Service attributed these unusually hot conditions<\/a> to climate change and suggested that such events are likely to become more frequent, intense and last longer in the future \u2013 indicating a concerning trend that may continue this year.<\/p>\n\n

\n \"A\n
\n Heatwaves will become more frequent, intense and last longer in the future.<\/span>\n ddproimages\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n

The dangers of extreme heat<\/h2>\n\n

Heatwaves and extreme temperatures impact human health<\/a> in a number of ways. These conditions can cause heatstroke, leading to symptoms like headaches and dizziness. Dehydration resulting from the heat can also affect respiratory and cardiovascular performance.<\/p>\n\n

There have already been reports of heat-related health incidents<\/a> in Europe during the ongoing heatwave. An Italian road worker died, and there have been numerous cases of heatstroke reported across Spain and Italy. <\/p>\n\n

The Italian Ministry of Health<\/a> has advised residents and visitors in affected areas to take precautions like staying out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, remaining hydrated and to avoid alcohol consumption.<\/p>\n\n

But the effects of heatwaves go beyond individual health. They have broader social and economic consequences<\/a> too. Extreme heat can damage road surfaces<\/a> and even cause railway tracks to buckle<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

Heatwaves can also lead to reduced water availability, affecting electricity production, crop irrigation and drinking water supply. In 2022, scorching heat meant French nuclear plants were unable to run at full capacity<\/a> as higher river temperatures and low water levels affected their cooling ability. Research<\/a> indicates that extreme heat has already had a negative impact on economic growth in Europe, lowering it by up to 0.5% over the past decade. <\/p>\n\n

\n \"A\n
\n Residents and visitors in affected areas are being advised to take certain precautions.<\/span>\n Henk Vrieselaar\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n

As temperatures continue to rise, heatwaves will become more severe. It\u2019s crucial that governments worldwide take swift and decisive action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions immediately. <\/p>\n\n

However, it\u2019s important to note that even if we were to completely halt global greenhouse gas emissions today, the climate would still continue to warm. This is due to the heat that is already absorbed and retained by the oceans<\/a>. While we can slow down the rate of global warming, the effects of climate change will continue to be experienced in the future.<\/p>\n\n

\n\n
\n \"Imagine\n
\n <\/span>\n \n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\n

Don\u2019t have time to read about climate change as much as you\u2019d like?<\/em><\/strong>\n
Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead.<\/a> Every Wednesday, The Conversation\u2019s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 20,000+ readers who\u2019ve subscribed so far.<\/a><\/em>\"The<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Emma Hill<\/a>, Associate Professor in Energy & Environmental Management, Coventry University<\/a><\/em> and Ben Vivian<\/a>, Assistant Professor in Sustainability & Environmental Management, Coventry University<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Blistering temperatures are spreading across southern and eastern Europe. Massimo Todaro\/Shutterstock Emma Hill, Coventry University and Ben Vivian,…\n","protected":false},"author":571,"featured_media":9818,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[120,173,918,474],"class_list":{"0":"post-9819","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-earth","8":"tag-climate-change","9":"tag-global-warming","10":"tag-heatwave","11":"tag-the-conversation","12":"cs-entry","13":"cs-video-wrap"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/571"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9819"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9820,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9819\/revisions\/9820"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}