Heatwaves are a new normal as 50C hits US and China – UN

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By Georgina RannardClimate and science reporter

27 minutes ago

Video Caption,

Watch: Weather forecast as temperatures approach record highs across the world

The extreme temperatures that have swept the globe this week are the new normal in a world warmed by climate change, according to the United Nations weather agency.

Temperatures exceeded 50°C (122°F) in parts of the United States and China on Sunday.

The World Meteorological Organization has warned that the heat wave in Europe could continue into August.

Millions of people around the world are on heat advisories as authorities warn of life-threatening danger from high temperatures.

Overnight in Europe and the United States is unlikely to bring widespread relief as temperatures remain above 30C in places like Arizona or southern Spain.

Longer, more intense and more frequent

Large parts of the world saw up close again on Monday what life is like under extreme temperatures.

Death Valley in California hit 53.9C (128F) on Sunday. The hottest temperature ever reliably recorded on Earth was 56.7°C (134°F).

China tentatively broke its all-time hottest temperature record on Sunday when it recorded 52.2C (126F) in its western region of Xinjiang, according to Britain’s Met Office.

Temperatures in southern Spain peaked at 46C (115F) on Monday. The heat is expected to intensify in Italy where 46C (115F) are forecast in Sardinia. Eastern Europe is also expected to warm up.

Scientists say climate change is making heat waves longer, more intense and more frequent.

“Extreme weather – an increasingly common phenomenon in our warming climate – has a major impact on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies,” said the Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization, Professor Petteri Taalas.

“We need to redouble our efforts to help society adjust to what is unfortunately becoming the new normal,” he added.

This underscores the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as deeply as possible, he suggested.

“We are not in a stable climate”

Leading British scientist Dr Frederieke Otto, from Imperial College London, told the BBC that “what we are seeing at the moment is exactly what we expect in a world where we are still burning fossil fuels”.

Humans are “100% behind” the rising trend in global temperatures, she explains.

The world has already warmed by 1.1°C since the industrial revolution, when humans started burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas, which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Dr Otto says we have no idea what the new normal will look like because “we are not in a stable climate”.

We won’t find out what the new climate will look like until the world stops burning fossil fuels and switches to green energy, she suggests.

The International Energy Agency has said there can be no new oil, gas or coal projects if governments are serious about tackling climate change.

Scientists say Europe in particular is warming faster than many climate models predicted. Using very powerful computers, models can compare a world affected by climate change to a world without the impacts of global warming.

“It feels like it’s spiraling out of control. We have a lot of work to do to figure out exactly what’s going on,” says Professor Cloke.

“If we are not ready for today, we are certainly not ready for tomorrow”

Countries are still unprepared for the reality of excessive heat, says Julie Arrighi, acting director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre.

“If we’re not ready for today’s heat, we’re definitely not ready for tomorrow’s heat. The risk only increases,” she says.

In Phoenix, Arizona, temperatures above 43°C (110°F) persisted for 18 days. The city has distributed water and cold towels, as well as respite centers to help residents cope.

“These heat waves are scary… We know it will be really deadly,” Professor Hannah Cloke from the University of Reading, UK, told the BBC.

She said more than 61,000 people died from the heat in Europe last year, and this year would be similar.

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