July 3, 2019
Last Friday, the temperature reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit in Gallargues-le-Montueux, France, a record for the entire country. France was not the only country in Europe suffering from record-setting heat: Germany, Poland, Spain, the Czech Republic, Italy, and others were sweltering. Why? Scientists have their eyes on the polar jet stream, the fast-moving flow of high-altitude air currents at the top of the world. When the jet stream wanders, cold Arctic air can spill southward, or hotter air from the middle latitudes can move north.
These scientists theorize that the melting of Arctic ice, along with the decreased temperature difference between the Arctic and lower latitudes, is causing the jet stream to weaken, leading to its wobbly flow. Michael Mann, a climate scientist at Penn State, says a "meandering, slowed jet stream . . . favors stalled extreme weather regimes like the ones we are seeing right now." The hotter the Arctic, the weaker the jet stream. In addition, the last 42 years - since 1977 - have all been warmer than average, globally. The last five years have been the hottest five years on record. Raise your hand if you see where this is headed.
The increased temperatures correlate with growing greenhouse gas emissions.
In Spain, 24,700 acres were destroyed last week by wildfires in four different regions of the country. (Last year, abnormal heat drove major wildfires as far north as the Arctic circle.) In Germany, speed limits were necessary on sections of the autobahn, in anticipation of the extreme heat possibly causing the roads to buckle. And in Hamburg, over 100 runners collapsed during a half-marathon on Sunday. In Paris, the fire department responded to 20 percent more emergency calls than usual. Thousands - yes, thousands - of schools shut down in that city. Cities throughout Italy were placed on red alert.
There are several factors that make Europeans vulnerable to high temperatures. Europe is known for its moderate temperatures, leaving people in northern countries unprepared for dealing with the physical stress of extreme heat. While residents of Spain are able to cope with triple-digit temperatures, those who live in northern Germany may find even 90-degree days so hot that they wind up in the hospital. The infrastructure can also be a problem: as few as 2 percent of homes in Germany are air conditioned.
Lastly, much of Europe is densely urbanized. Seventy-two percent of Europe's population lives in cities, towns and suburbs. Because steel, concrete and asphalt absorb heat easily, cities become hotter than the surrounding rural areas, a phenomenon known as the heat island effect. As the numbers of people moving to cities increases, so does this effect.
According to a group of scientists who work for the organization World Weather Attribution, the 2018 heatwave that ravaged northern Europe was made five times more likely by climate change. In 2017, a heatwave that struck the Mediterranean, known as "Lucifer," was made at least ten times more likely by climate change. It appears we are on track for similar effects this year.
With thanks to vox.com and The New York Times.
Last Friday, the temperature reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit in Gallargues-le-Montueux, France, a record for the entire country. France was not the only country in Europe suffering from record-setting heat: Germany, Poland, Spain, the Czech Republic, Italy, and others were sweltering. Why? Scientists have their eyes on the polar jet stream, the fast-moving flow of high-altitude air currents at the top of the world. When the jet stream wanders, cold Arctic air can spill southward, or hotter air from the middle latitudes can move north.
These scientists theorize that the melting of Arctic ice, along with the decreased temperature difference between the Arctic and lower latitudes, is causing the jet stream to weaken, leading to its wobbly flow. Michael Mann, a climate scientist at Penn State, says a "meandering, slowed jet stream . . . favors stalled extreme weather regimes like the ones we are seeing right now." The hotter the Arctic, the weaker the jet stream. In addition, the last 42 years - since 1977 - have all been warmer than average, globally. The last five years have been the hottest five years on record. Raise your hand if you see where this is headed.
The increased temperatures correlate with growing greenhouse gas emissions.
In Spain, 24,700 acres were destroyed last week by wildfires in four different regions of the country. (Last year, abnormal heat drove major wildfires as far north as the Arctic circle.) In Germany, speed limits were necessary on sections of the autobahn, in anticipation of the extreme heat possibly causing the roads to buckle. And in Hamburg, over 100 runners collapsed during a half-marathon on Sunday. In Paris, the fire department responded to 20 percent more emergency calls than usual. Thousands - yes, thousands - of schools shut down in that city. Cities throughout Italy were placed on red alert.
There are several factors that make Europeans vulnerable to high temperatures. Europe is known for its moderate temperatures, leaving people in northern countries unprepared for dealing with the physical stress of extreme heat. While residents of Spain are able to cope with triple-digit temperatures, those who live in northern Germany may find even 90-degree days so hot that they wind up in the hospital. The infrastructure can also be a problem: as few as 2 percent of homes in Germany are air conditioned.
Lastly, much of Europe is densely urbanized. Seventy-two percent of Europe's population lives in cities, towns and suburbs. Because steel, concrete and asphalt absorb heat easily, cities become hotter than the surrounding rural areas, a phenomenon known as the heat island effect. As the numbers of people moving to cities increases, so does this effect.
According to a group of scientists who work for the organization World Weather Attribution, the 2018 heatwave that ravaged northern Europe was made five times more likely by climate change. In 2017, a heatwave that struck the Mediterranean, known as "Lucifer," was made at least ten times more likely by climate change. It appears we are on track for similar effects this year.
With thanks to vox.com and The New York Times.
Comments
Post a Comment