A new study has revealed most of the fierce heat waves around the world – and surprisingly, some have gone unnoticed.
Image credit: University of Bristol.
The study, led by the University of Bristol, also shows heat waves that are expected to become hotter in the future as climate change becomes more severe.
In the summer of 2021, the heat wave in western North America was considered the heaviest, with the highest temperature of all time in Canada of 49.6 ° C in Leaton, British Columbia. On June 29, 2021, an increase of 4.6 ° C compared to the previous peak was recorded.
The results of the study revealed five other hot flashes around the world, which are known to be even more severe, but remained largely unnoticed.
The study was recently reported in the journal Science Advances.
The recent heat wave in Canada and the United States has shocked the world. And yet we show that there have been some even greater extremes in the last few decades. Using climate models, we also find that extreme heat events are likely to increase in the next century – at the same rate as the local average temperature.
Dr. Vicki Thompson, lead author of the study and climate scientist, Cabot Institute for the Environment, University of Bristol
Heat is considered one of the most catastrophic extreme weather events. The heat wave in western North America is known to be the deadliest weather event in Canada, causing hundreds of deaths. Also, raging forest fires have led to total crop losses and infrastructure damage.
However, a study assessing how extreme the heat waves are compared to local temperatures shows that the first three hottest ever in the regions concerned were in Southeast Asia in April 1998, reaching a maximum of 32.8 ° C, Brazil in November 1985, reaching temperatures of 36.5 ° C and the Southern United States in July 1980, where temperatures rose to 38.4 ° C.
The heat in western North America will be remembered for its widespread devastation. However, the study reveals several major meteorological extremes in recent decades, some of which have largely remained on the radar, probably due to their occurrence in more needy countries.
Dr. Vicki Thompson, lead author of the study and climate scientist, Cabot Institute for the Environment, University of Bristol
Thompson added: “It is important to assess the severity of heat waves in terms of local temperature variability, because both humans and the natural ecosystem will adapt to this, so that in regions where there is less variation, less absolute extremes can have more harmful effects. “
In addition, advanced climate model forecasts have been used by the research team to predict heat wave trends for the rest of this era. The modeling meant heat wave intensity levels and was set to increase in line with rising global temperatures.
Although the highest local temperatures do not essentially have the most significant impact, they do contribute. Improving knowledge of extreme weather conditions and where they have occurred can help prioritize efforts to help manage such problems in highly vulnerable regions.
Climate change is one of the biggest global health problems of our time, and we have shown that many heat waves outside the developed world have gone largely unnoticed.
Dan Mitchell, co-author and professor, Climate Science, University of Bristol
Mitchell added: “The burden of heat on mortality at the state level can be in thousands of deaths, and countries that experience temperatures outside their normal limits are most vulnerable to these shocks.
In recognition of the risk impacts of climate change and the clear commitment to tackling them, in 2019 the University of Bristol became the first university in the United Kingdom to declare a climate emergency.
Journal reference:
Thompson, V., et al. (2022) The heat wave in Western North America in 2021 is one of the most extreme events ever recorded worldwide. Scientific achievements. doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abm6860.
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