Study says current heatwave is Western Europe’s most severe on record
The current heatwave is the most severe and widespread ever recorded in Western Europe, according to a rapid study by World Weather Attribution (WWA).
Researchers said the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change. They found that a similar weather pattern would have been around 3.5°C cooler in 1976, a year remembered for its exceptionally hot summer, and about 2°C cooler than the 2003 European heatwave.
The extreme heat has been caused by a high-pressure “heat dome”, which traps hot air over Europe while drawing in even warmer air from the Sahara. Record temperatures have been reported in several countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and Belgium, where some areas have faced temperatures close to 40°C.
The study also found record levels of heat stress across much of Western Europe, driven by a combination of extreme temperatures and high humidity. Nearly half of the 854 cities analysed recorded their highest-ever heat stress for this time of year. Unusually warm nights have also become far more likely than during past major heatwaves.
Scientists warned that heatwaves are Europe’s deadliest natural hazard, causing more deaths than all other natural disasters combined. More than 60,000 heat-related deaths were recorded across Europe during the summer of 2022.
The researchers urged faster cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to limit the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat.
© BELGA PHOTO JAMES ARTHUR GEKIERE