Scientists warn that the deadly global heatwave currently battering continents would have been “impossible” without human-caused global warming driven by fossil fuels.
The human cost is already devastating. In the United States, extreme heat kills more people on average each year than hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods combined, making it the leading cause of weather-related deaths.
A rapid analysis by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) consortium confirms that this extreme event could not have occurred without the climate crisis. Researchers say human-induced warming has supercharged temperatures, making such sweltering nights at least 100 times more likely than they were just 20 years ago.
A powerful high-pressure “heat dome” is currently trapping scorching air across Europe, with more than 100 million people enduring temperatures above 35°C (95°F). The combination of extreme heat and high humidity has pushed nearly half of Europe’s 850 largest cities into unprecedented heat-stress conditions, levels that make it extremely difficult for the human body to cool itself.
Experts note that the planet’s 1.1°C warming over the past 50 years has fundamentally changed weather patterns, turning once-rare extremes into dangerous new normals.
While improved early warning systems have helped save lives, emergency services are overwhelmed. Scientists stress that far greater investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and a rapid transition away from fossil fuels are essential to prevent future summers from becoming even deadlier.
@EricLDaugh Hail to that and I’m totally against Iran, but to begin with, why all of this started? Iranians are still slaves of their “republic” and everything is back as it was before. Sounds like Afghanistan debacle.