Tag Archives: Heatwaves

Recent Heatwaves in Europe Linked to Climate Change, Resulting in 1,500 Fatalities

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Firefighter drops water on wildfires near Athens, Greece

Costa Subarutas/Anadoll via Getty Images

The severe heat waves experienced in June and July have resulted in 2,300 fatalities across London and 11 other European cities, nearly tripling the death toll attributed to climate change. While assessing the effects of climate change on heat-related deaths typically takes months, scientists have now devised a rapid method for analysis.

In late June, a series of high-pressure “thermal domes” led to extreme temperatures in Western and Central Europe, reaching around 35°C to 40°C in London. Paris recorded temperatures as high as 46°C, while parts of Spain and Portugal also faced similar conditions. The intense heat caused nuclear reactors to shut down in Switzerland, France, and Italy. In response to worker fatalities caused by the heat, outdoor work was prohibited during peak temperatures.

Researchers at the World Weather Attribution Network utilized weather data to assess how severe the heatwave would have been without climate change, comparing that with observed conditions. They integrated a study from the London Faculty of Hygiene, which illustrated the relationship between daily temperatures and increased death rates in European cities, along with their own findings. This framework was then applied to actual temperatures, calculating the potential fatalities due to climate change during this heat wave.

By estimating the period from June 23 to July 2, the researchers concluded that 2,300 individuals perished due to the heat in cities like Barcelona, Budapest, Frankfurt, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Rome, Sassari, and Zagreb. Analysis indicated that even under cooler climate conditions, there would have been approximately 700 deaths. However, climate change raised temperatures by as much as four degrees, contributing to an additional estimated 1,500 fatalities. Heat remains one of the deadliest forms of extreme weather, often exacerbating existing health conditions and going unrecognized on death certificates.

This marks the first study to swiftly quantify climate-related fatalities following a heat wave. Specifically, in London, climate change was responsible for 171 out of 235 heat-related deaths. “For me, [the impact of] climate change feels more tangible,” remarked team member Freedérique Otto from Imperial College London. “It is essential for policymakers to take action.”

“Currently, we’re nearing dangerously high temperatures affecting more people,” stated team member Ben Clark of Imperial College London. Notably, 88% of the fatalities were individuals over 65, the most vulnerable demographic.

Experts suggest that this study might underestimate the death toll, as it relies on data from cooler climates. Christie Ebi from Washington University in Seattle expressed concern over future extreme temperatures, stating, “I am uncertain about what will happen when we reach these extreme levels.”

In response to the rising temperatures, the government has issued more heat wave warnings; however, emergency response plans and infrastructure improvements are still necessary. In Milan, for instance, 499 deaths were reported, exacerbated by high air pollution levels that can worsen with rising temperatures. With 90% of fatalities linked to climate change, Madrid struggles with a lack of green spaces to mitigate urban heat effects.

Additionally, many buildings in London suffer from inadequate ventilation. Currently, measures such as providing drinking water at subway stations and halting non-essential vehicle usage during heat waves are being implemented. Otto emphasizes the importance of public awareness around heat risks, stating, “If you believe you are invincible, you’re not.”

Source: www.newscientist.com

Study finds that decreased cloud cover may lead to heatwaves and high temperatures

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overview

  • Global temperatures over the past two years have been even warmer than climate scientists expected.
  • A new study offers a possible reason: reduced cloud cover.
  • The study suggests that this decline may be a result of global warming, which could mean the Earth is heating up even faster than scientists thought.

Over the past two years, temperatures around the world have risen far more than scientists expected. This trend is creating the mystery of whether there are hidden climate change dynamics behind the sudden change.

Last year was the hottest summer on record, 2024 was likely to be even hotter.. Even after accounting for the expected effects of greenhouse gas pollution and El Niño (a natural pattern that generally increases temperatures), the researchers found that the roughly 0.2 degrees Celsius (0.36 degrees Fahrenheit) of warmer temperatures observed in 2023 I couldn’t explain the change.

A new study offers a possible explanation. Cloud cover has decreased over the past two years, meaning more light is now reaching and heating the Earth’s surface, rather than being reflected back into space.

In the research, Published in Science on Thursdaysuggesting that this dynamic, called an overall decrease in the planet’s albedo, is likely the cause of the observed temperature anomaly in 2023.

“This is broadly consistent with the observed recent further increase in solar radiation,” said study author Helge Goessling, a climate physicist at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany.

The expected cloud behavior in a warmer world is one of the most difficult aspects of the climate system to study and model. Answering questions about it will help scientists more accurately determine how sensitive the Earth is to greenhouse gas emissions.

If the decrease in low-level cloud cover is not a coincidence, it likely means the Earth is warming even faster than scientists thought.

“It’s not really clear yet how likely it is that some of this variation is variability that disappears again,” Gosling said. “This increases the likelihood of greater-than-expected warming.”

The new study is based on analysis of climate models and NASA satellite data on Earth’s reflectivity. It outlines three possible reasons for the decline in developing low clouds, but provides no conclusions about how much each factor contributes.

One option is that natural processes temporarily deviate from normal, causing a decrease in cloud cover. For example, natural fluctuations may be causing sea surface temperatures to rise more than expected, thereby changing the physics of how clouds form.

The second possibility is a change in maritime transport regulations. In 2020, the International Maritime Organization imposed limits on the sulfur content allowed in marine fuels. Some scientists believe that reducing the number of sulfur particles polluting the atmosphere may have the unintended effect of suppressing ocean cloud formation.

“They act as condensation nuclei for clouds, so they can make clouds brighter and last longer,” Goessling said of the sulfur particles.

A third option is that unidentified feedback loops within the climate system are causing clouds to decrease due to global warming.

If the latter two possibilities turn out to be the main culprits, it would mean that the climate is more sensitive to anthropogenic pollution than many scientists thought, and that humanity is therefore more likely than world leaders to It means we are closer to exceeding the targets set for emissions limits than previously realized. (The term “climate sensitivity” refers to how warm the Earth is. If the concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere doubled.. )

Still, many questions remain, said Zeke Hausfather, director of climate research at financial firm Stripe and a researcher at Berkeley Earth.

“It remains to be seen whether these changes in cloud behavior are due to short-term fluctuations and will return to more normal conditions over time, or whether they represent new and ongoing changes to the climate system. No,” he said. Email.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average surface temperature of land and ocean in 2023 was about 2.12 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average.

Efforts by world leaders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions remain insufficient. Global temperatures are on track to rise by more than 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) on average, far exceeding the 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) goal set by the Paris Agreement.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Using sunscreen particles to spray rice during heatwaves enhances growth

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Sunrise over rice terraces in Bali, Indonesia

Aliaksandr Mazurkevich / Alamy

Zinc nanoparticles, a common sunscreen ingredient, could help protect rice from heat-related stress, an increasingly common problem under climate change.

Zinc is known to play an important role in plant metabolism. Minerals in the form of salts are often added to the soil as fertilizer or sprayed on the leaves, but this is not very efficient. Another approach is to deliver zinc as particles smaller than 100 nanometers, which can pass through microscopic pores in leaves and accumulate within the plant.

Researchers have been studying such nanoparticles as a way to deliver more nutrients to plants and maintain crop yields while reducing the environmental damage caused by excessive fertilizer use. now Hu Hong Researchers from China's Nankai University tested how zinc oxide nanoparticles affected crop performance under heat wave conditions.

They grew flowering rice in a greenhouse under normal conditions and a simulated heat wave in which temperatures exceeded 37 degrees Celsius for six consecutive days. Some plants were sprayed with nanoparticles, while others were not treated at all.

When harvested, the average grain yield of plants treated with zinc nanoparticles was 22.1% higher than non-sprayed plants, and the rice also contained higher levels of nutrients. Zinc was also beneficial under heat wave conditions. In fact, in these cases, the difference in yield between treated and untreated plants was even greater.

Based on detailed measurements of nutrients in leaves, the researchers found that zinc boosts yields by fortifying enzymes involved in photosynthesis and antioxidants that protect plants from harmful molecules known as reactive oxygen species. concluded.

“Nanoscale micronutrients have great potential to increase climate resilience of crops through a number of unique mechanisms related to reactive oxygen species,” he says. jason white At the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

The researchers also found that rice plants treated with zinc nanoparticles maintained a greater diversity of microorganisms living on the leaves (called the phyllosphere), which may contribute to improved growth. I also discovered that.

Tests of zinc oxide nanoparticles on plants such as pumpkin and alfalfa have also shown increased yields. But Hu says more research is needed to verify that this could benefit other crops, such as wheat.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Using sunscreen particles on rice during heatwaves boosts growth

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Sunrise over rice terraces in Bali, Indonesia

Aliaksandr Mazurkevich / Alamy

Zinc nanoparticles, a common sunscreen ingredient, could help protect rice from heat-related stress, an increasingly common problem under climate change.

Zinc is known to play an important role in plant metabolism. Minerals in the form of salts are often added to the soil as fertilizer or sprayed on the leaves, but this is not very efficient. Another approach is to deliver zinc as particles smaller than 100 nanometers, which can pass through microscopic pores in leaves and accumulate within the plant.

Researchers have been investigating such nanoparticle carriers as a way to provide more nutrients to plants and help maintain crop yields while reducing environmental damage from excessive fertilizer use. Ta. now Hu Hong Researchers from China’s Nankai University tested how these zinc oxide nanoparticles affected crop performance under heat wave conditions.

They grew flowering rice in a greenhouse under normal conditions and a simulated heat wave in which temperatures exceeded 37 degrees Celsius for six consecutive days. Some plants were sprayed with nanoparticles, while others were not treated at all.

When harvested, the average grain yield of plants treated with zinc nanoparticles was 22.1% higher than non-sprayed plants, and the rice also contained higher levels of nutrients. Zinc was also beneficial under heat wave conditions. In fact, in these cases, the difference in yield between treated and untreated plants was even greater.

Based on detailed measurements of nutrients in leaves, the researchers found that zinc boosts yields by fortifying enzymes involved in photosynthesis and antioxidants that protect plants from harmful molecules known as reactive oxygen species. It was concluded that it increased.

“Nanoscale micronutrients have great potential to increase climate resilience of crops through a number of unique mechanisms related to reactive oxygen species,” he says. jason white At the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

The researchers also found that rice treated with zinc nanoparticles retained a greater diversity of microorganisms living in the leaves, called the phyllosphere, which may contribute to improved growth. I discovered it.

Tests of zinc oxide nanoparticles on other crops such as pumpkin and alfalfa have also shown increased yields. But Hu says more research is needed to verify that this could benefit other crops.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Record-breaking heatwaves expected to continue into May 2024 for the 12th consecutive month.

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People collect water in hot weather in New Delhi, India on May 22.

Amarjeet Kumar Singh/Anadolu via Getty Images

With each new month comes new records as the planet continues to experience unprecedented, record-breaking heatwaves. Last month, global temperatures were the warmest on record for a May, marking the 12th consecutive month of such record-breaking weather, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Copernicus’ Carlo Buontempo said in a statement that while the current record will eventually end, the record set over the past year is likely to be broken in coming years as the world continues to warm due to rising greenhouse gases. “This period of the hottest months will likely be remembered as a relatively cool one,” Buontempo said.

The average Earth’s surface temperature in May 2024 was 1.52°C higher than the 1850-1900 average, considered pre-industrial levels, and 0.19°C higher than the warmest May to date, in 2020. May 2024 will mark the 11th consecutive month with average temperatures more than 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial levels, the threshold that countries aim to avoid exceeding under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The global average temperature over the past 12 months was 1.63°C higher than the average from 1850 to 1900, the highest on record, but climate scientists will not consider the 1.5°C limit to have been breached until the long-term average exceeds this level.

Climate scientists had predicted that 2023 and 2024 would be hotter because of an El Niño weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean that dumps ocean heat into the atmosphere, temporarily warming the surface of the planet on top of the trends caused by rising greenhouse gases. But temperatures actually turned out to be even hotter than predicted, and it’s unclear why.

El Niño is now being replaced by La Niña, during which much of the Pacific Ocean absorbs more heat than usual from the atmosphere. This may temporarily cool sea surface temperatures, but because sea surface temperatures are still at record levels, 2024 is likely to be even hotter than 2023.

Unusually warm May caused extreme heat and heat waves Heat waves are occurring in parts of the world, including large swaths of India, where temperatures in the capital Delhi reached a new record of 49.9°C (121.8°F) on May 28.

Howler monkeys in Mexico Falling from a tree and dying This heat has now spread to the northern United States during a prolonged heat wave.

Last year, a study warned that if the world exceeds the 1.5°C limit, heatwaves could become so intense that they cause mass deaths in places where people are not used to such heat and buildings are not designed with it in mind.

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Source: www.newscientist.com