Latest news with #globalwarming
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Scientists blame climate change for UK heatwave: Met Office is ‘virtually certain' 35°C temperatures were caused by global warming
Scientists have blamed climate change for the UK heatwave. The Met Office says it is 'virtually certain' that this week's 35°C temperatures were caused by global warming. 'Past studies have shown it is virtually certain that human influence has increased the occurrence and intensity of extreme heat events such as this,' said Dr Amy Doherty, Met Office Climate Scientist. 'Numerous climate attribution studies have shown that human influence increased the chance that specific extreme heat events would occur, such as the summer of 2018 and July 2022. 'Our Met Office climate projections indicate that hot spells will become more frequent in our future climate, particularly over the southeast of the UK. 'Temperatures are projected to rise in all seasons, but the heat would be most intense in summer.' The warning comes as the Met Office confirmed that last month was England's hottest June on record. Average temperatures hit a balmy 16.9°C - the highest recorded since the series began in 1884. Last month was the second warmest on record for the UK, which saw an average temperature of 15.2°C. The east and southeast of England were especially hot last month, with East Anglia's average temperature hitting 3°C above its long-term average. Across June, two heatwaves were confirmed across England and Wales - one in the third week of the month, and the second closing out the month. This second heatwave has been more concentrated on the very far south and east of England, according to the Met Office. As for how this year compares to the infamous summer of 1976, the Met Office says that while last month was hotter, June 1976 remains more notable due to the longevity of the heat. 'During 1976, multiple locations across England recorded heatwave spells lasting over two weeks,' the Met Office explained. Looking ahead, the UK is likely to see more frequent and intense heatwaves, according to the Met Office. Just last month, the Met Office's research showed that the chances of hitting 40°C are climbing at pace. The study, published in the journal Weather, showed that there is now a 50/50 chance of the UK hitting 40°C again in the next 12 years. Worryingly, the researchers warn that even hotter temperatures are possible, with a maximum of 46.6°C (115.9°F) now 'plausible' in today's climate. Lead author Dr Gillian Kay, senior scientist at the Met Office, said: 'The chance of exceeding 40°C has been rapidly increasing, and it is now over 20 times more likely than it was in the 1960s. 'Because our climate continues to warm, we can expect the chance to keep rising. 'We also found that temperatures several degrees higher than we saw in July 2022 are possible in today's climate.' Dr Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, research fellow at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, called heatwaves 'silent killers'. 'Unlike floods or storms, their impact can be invisible,' he warned.
The Guardian
19 hours ago
- Science
- The Guardian
Key climate change reports removed from US government websites
Legally mandated US national climate assessments seem to have disappeared from the federal websites built to display them, making it harder for state and local governments and the public to learn what to expect in their back yards from a warming world. Scientists said the peer-reviewed authoritative reports save money and lives. Websites for the national assessments and the US Global Change Research Program were down Monday and Tuesday with no links, notes or referrals elsewhere. The White House, which was responsible for the assessments, said the information will be housed within Nasa to comply with the law, but gave no further details. Searches for the assessments on Nasa websites did not turn them up. Nasa did not respond to requests for information. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which coordinated the information in the assessments, did not respond to repeated inquiries. 'It's critical for decision-makers across the country to know what the science in the National Climate Assessment is. That is the most reliable and well-reviewed source of information about climate that exists for the United States,' said Kathy Jacobs, a University of Arizona climate scientist, who coordinated the 2014 version of the report. 'It's a sad day for the United States if it is true that the National Climate Assessment is no longer available,' Jacobs added. 'This is evidence of serious tampering with the facts and with people's access to information, and it actually may increase the risk of people being harmed by climate-related impacts.' Harvard climate scientist John Holdren, who was Barack Obama's science adviser and whose office directed the assessments, said that after the 2014 edition, he visited governors, mayors and other local officials who told him how useful the 841-page report had been. It helped them decide whether to raise roads, build seawalls and even move hospital generators from basements to roofs, he said. 'This is a government resource paid for by the taxpayer to provide the information that really is the primary source of information for any city, state or federal agency who's trying to prepare for the impacts of a changing climate,' said Texas Tech climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, who has been a volunteer author for several editions of the report. Copies of past reports are still squirreled away in Noaa's library. Nasa's open science data repository includes dead links to the assessment site. The most recent report, issued in 2023, includes an interactive atlas that zooms down to the county level. It found that climate change is affecting people's security, health and livelihoods in every corner of the country in different ways, with minority and Native American communities often disproportionately at risk. The 1990 Global Change Research Act requires a national climate assessment every four years and directs the president to establish an interagency United States Global Change Research Program. In the spring, the Trump administration told the volunteer authors of the next climate assessment that their services weren't needed and ended the contract with the private firm that helps coordinate the website and report. Additionally, Noaa's main website was recently forwarded to a different Noaa website. Social media and blogs at Noaa and Nasa about climate impacts for the general public were cut or eliminated. 'It's part of a horrifying big picture,' Holdren said. 'It's just an appalling whole demolition of science infrastructure.' The national assessments are more useful than international climate reports put out by the UN every seven or so years because they are more localized and more detailed, Hayhoe and Jacobs said. The national reports are not only peer-reviewed by other scientists, but examined for accuracy by the National Academy of Sciences, federal agencies, the staff and the public. Hiding the reports would be censoring science, Jacobs said. It's also dangerous for the country, Hayhoe said, comparing it to steering a car on a curving road by only looking through the rearview mirror: 'And now, more than ever, we need to be looking ahead to do everything it takes to make it around that curve safely. It's like our windshield's being painted over.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
21 hours ago
- Climate
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Europe Sizzles and Eiffel Tower's Summit Closes
Europe sizzled in its first major heat wave of the summer on Tuesday, as Barcelona recorded its hottest June in over a century and the summit of Paris' iconic Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors. Health warnings remained in effect in several countries. The abnormally hot weather 'is exposing millions of Europeans to high heat stress' with temperatures more typical of July and August, said Samantha Burgess of the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Spain: Record temperatures Barcelona's Fabra Observatory reported an average temperature for last month of 26 C (78 F), breaking records since the data began in 1914. It said a single-day high of 37.9 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) for June was recorded Monday. Barcelona is usually spared the worst heat in Spain, thanks to its location between hills and the Mediterranean. Ramón Pascual, a delegate for Spain's weather service in Barcelona, told The Associated Press the "very intense heat wave' is clearly linked to global warming. Pascual said inhabitants of the Mediterranean region are not being helped by the rising sea temperatures, which greatly reduce any cooling effects of a nearby body of water. Spain's weather service said recent surface temperatures for the Mediterranean near the Balearic Islands are 5 to 6 degrees Celsius higher than average. Spain's national average for June of 23.6 degrees Celsius (74 degrees Fahrenheit) was 0.8 C hotter than the previous hottest June in 2017. Madrid was forecast to reach 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit). 'We're just surviving,' said Miguel Sopera, 63. 'At night it's impossible due to the terrible heat.' France: Closed schools Temperatures were forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Paris. National weather agency Météo-France placed several departments under the highest red alert. More than 1,300 schools were partially or fully closed. Visitors to the Eiffel Tower without tickets were told to postpone their visits as the summit was closed until Thursday for "everyone's comfort and safety.' Climate experts warn that future summers are likely to be hotter than any recorded to date, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius expected every year by 2100. Italy: A blackout Italy's health ministry said 17 of the country's 27 major cities were experiencing a heat wave. In Florence, where temperatures reached 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, parts of the city center experienced a blackout following a surge in electricity demand. Backup systems restored power, energy company Enel said. Near Bologna, the 46-year-old owner of a construction company collapsed and died while repaving a school parking lot, state-run RAI reported. An autopsy was being conducted but heat was suspected. The Netherlands: Water gun fight In the Dutch town of Soest, first responders said they were bringing a fire hose to an evening water gun fight. 'Bring your water pistol and swimming clothes with you, because you're guaranteed to get soaked!' the firefighters said on social media. Portugal: A record high The weather service in a statement Monday night confirmed the highest single temperature ever recorded in mainland Portugal for the month of June at 46.6 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit) on June 29 in the town of Mora, west of Lisbon. Türkiye: Wildfires Firefighters across Türkiye tried to contain wildfires that have forced the evacuation of some 50,000 residents for the third consecutive day. Czech Republic: Polar bears Temperatures were expected to reach 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) by Wednesday in parts of the Czech Republic. The Prague zoo distributed up to 10 metric tons of ice, with special attention given to polar bears. Zoo director Miroslav Bobek said twin brother bears Aleut and Gregor discovered frozen pieces of squid.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Eiffel Tower's summit closes to visitors as Europe swelters in heatwave
Europe sizzled in its first major heatwave of the summer on Tuesday, as Barcelona recorded its hottest June in more than a century and the summit of Paris' famous Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors. Health warnings remained in effect in several countries. The abnormally hot weather 'is exposing millions of Europeans to high heat stress' with temperatures more typical of July and August, said Samantha Burgess of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Barcelona's Fabra Observatory reported an average temperature for last month of 26C, breaking records since the data began in 1914. It said a single-day high of 37.9C for June was recorded on Monday. Barcelona is usually spared the worst heat in Spain, thanks to its location between hills and the Mediterranean. Ramon Pascual, a delegate for Spain's weather service in Barcelona, told the Associated Press the 'very intense heatwave' is clearly linked to global warming. Mr Pascual said inhabitants of the Mediterranean region are not being helped by the rising sea temperatures, which greatly reduce any cooling effects of a nearby body of water. Spain's weather service said recent surface temperatures for the Mediterranean near the Balearic Islands are 5-6C higher than average. Spain's national average for June of 23.6Celsius was 0.8C hotter than the previous hottest June in 2017. Madrid was forecast to reach 39C. Temperatures were forecast to reach 40C in the French capital Paris. National weather agency Meteo-France placed several departments under the highest red alert. More than 1,300 schools were partially or fully closed. Visitors to the Eiffel Tower without tickets were told to postpone their visits as the summit was closed until Thursday for 'everyone's comfort and safety'. Climate experts warn that future summers are likely to be hotter than any recorded to date, with temperatures exceeding 40C expected every year by 2100. Italy's health ministry said 17 of the country's 27 major cities were experiencing a heatwave. In Florence, where temperatures reached 38C on Tuesday, parts of the city centre experienced a blackout following a surge in electricity demand. Back-up systems restored power, energy company Enel said. Near Bologna, the 46-year-old owner of a construction company collapsed and died while repaving a school car park, state-run RAI reported. An autopsy was being conducted but heat was suspected. In the Dutch town of Soest, first responders said they were bringing a fire hose to an evening water gun fight. 'Bring your water pistol and swimming clothes with you, because you're guaranteed to get soaked!' the firefighters said on social media. In Portugal, the weather service in a statement on Monday night confirmed the highest single temperature ever recorded in mainland Portugal for the month of June at 46.6C on June 29 in the town of Mora, west of Lisbon. Firefighters across Turkey tried to contain wildfires that have forced the evacuation of some 50,000 residents for the third consecutive day.
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- Climate
- BreakingNews.ie
Eiffel Tower's summit closes to visitors as Europe swelters in heatwave
Europe sizzled in its first major heatwave of the summer on Tuesday, as Barcelona recorded its hottest June in more than a century and the summit of Paris' famous Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors. Health warnings remained in effect in several countries. Advertisement The abnormally hot weather 'is exposing millions of Europeans to high heat stress' with temperatures more typical of July and August, said Samantha Burgess of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Barcelona's Fabra Observatory reported an average temperature for last month of 26C, breaking records since the data began in 1914. Italy has also seen soaring temperatures (AP) It said a single-day high of 37.9C for June was recorded on Monday. Barcelona is usually spared the worst heat in Spain, thanks to its location between hills and the Mediterranean. Ramon Pascual, a delegate for Spain's weather service in Barcelona, told the Associated Press the 'very intense heatwave' is clearly linked to global warming. Advertisement Mr Pascual said inhabitants of the Mediterranean region are not being helped by the rising sea temperatures, which greatly reduce any cooling effects of a nearby body of water. Spain's weather service said recent surface temperatures for the Mediterranean near the Balearic Islands are 5-6C higher than average. Spain's national average for June of 23.6Celsius was 0.8C hotter than the previous hottest June in 2017. Madrid was forecast to reach 39C. Advertisement People visit a public pool in Frankfurt, Germany (Michael Probst/AP) Temperatures were forecast to reach 40C in the French capital Paris. National weather agency Meteo-France placed several departments under the highest red alert. More than 1,300 schools were partially or fully closed. Visitors to the Eiffel Tower without tickets were told to postpone their visits as the summit was closed until Thursday for 'everyone's comfort and safety'. Climate experts warn that future summers are likely to be hotter than any recorded to date, with temperatures exceeding 40C expected every year by 2100. Italy's health ministry said 17 of the country's 27 major cities were experiencing a heatwave. Advertisement In Florence, where temperatures reached 38C on Tuesday, parts of the city centre experienced a blackout following a surge in electricity demand. Back-up systems restored power, energy company Enel said. Parts of Europe including Switzerland have seen above-average temperatures (AP) Near Bologna, the 46-year-old owner of a construction company collapsed and died while repaving a school car park, state-run RAI reported. An autopsy was being conducted but heat was suspected. In the Dutch town of Soest, first responders said they were bringing a fire hose to an evening water gun fight. 'Bring your water pistol and swimming clothes with you, because you're guaranteed to get soaked!' the firefighters said on social media. Advertisement In Portugal, the weather service in a statement on Monday night confirmed the highest single temperature ever recorded in mainland Portugal for the month of June at 46.6C on June 29 in the town of Mora, west of Lisbon. Firefighters across Turkey tried to contain wildfires that have forced the evacuation of some 50,000 residents for the third consecutive day.
