Title: Prepare for More Intense and Longer-lasting Heatwaves in Europe, Warns Weather Forecasting Agency
Introduction:
Europe is experiencing record-breaking temperatures, and weather experts are warning that the continent should be prepared for more frequent and intense heatwaves in the future. The increasing temperatures are a result of climate change and have severe consequences for tourism, agriculture, and industry. This article explores the current heatwave situation, its impact on various European countries, and the urgent need for adaptation measures.
I. Europe Bracing for Intensified and Extended Heatwaves
– Europe’s weather forecasting agency, Copernicus Climate Change Service, predicts that heatwaves, similar to those experienced last summer and the ongoing one, will worsen due to climate change.
– Carlo Buontempo, the agency’s director, highlights the possibility of surpassing the previous record temperature of 48.8°C set in Sicily, emphasizing the increasing intensity and duration of heatwaves.
– While temperatures are expected to slightly ease by the end of the week, many parts of southern Europe will continue to face “much warmer than normal” conditions, warns Buontempo.
II. Heatwave Impacting Countries Across Europe
1. Southern Europe:
– Sardinia, Sicily, Madrid, and Rome have experienced soaring temperatures, reaching as high as 40°C, forcing closures of tourist attractions and issuing warnings.
– The anticyclonic high-pressure system, called Cerberus, has contributed to the extreme heat in the region.
2. Greece:
– Fires near Athens have destroyed homes, sparked evacuations of summer camps, and placed the city on high fire alert.
– The Acropolis, a popular tourist site, had to be closed during peak heat hours, highlighting the need to adapt to the climate crisis.
3. Italy:
– Health officials have declared heat emergencies in multiple cities as hospitals prepare for a surge in heat-related illnesses.
– Rome has set up aid points throughout the city to provide water and medical assistance to those struggling with the heat.
– The extreme heat is affecting Italy’s agriculture sector, with dairy farmers reporting a potential 10% drop in milk production due to heat stress in animals.
III. Heat-related Deaths and Climate Impacts
– A study by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health estimates that over 61,000 people died from heat-related conditions in Europe between late May and early September last year.
– Italy, Spain, and Germany have reported the highest number of deaths from heat-related issues.
– The heatwave’s impact on agriculture has caused concerns about reduced crop yields, increased water and energy costs, and potential economic consequences.
IV. Urgent Need for Adaptation and Mitigation Measures
– The extreme heat demonstrates the urgency for governments and societies to address climate change and take proactive steps to mitigate its effects.
– The Italian government’s response to climate change is analyzed, with some calling for more ambitious actions to align with the EU’s green deal.
– The importance of balancing environmental goals with economic stability and preserving cultural traditions is highlighted but should not compromise long-term sustainability.
Conclusion:
Intense and longer-lasting heatwaves in Europe, fueled by climate change, demand immediate attention and action. The ongoing heatwave serves as a stark reminder of the urgency to adapt and mitigate the effects of global warming. Governments, communities, and individuals must work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, implement adaptation strategies, and prioritize sustainability. The heatwave’s impact on various sectors and countries should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers and citizens alike. By acting collectively, Europe can better prepare for and minimize the impact of future heatwaves, ensuring the well-being and safety of its people while safeguarding the environment.
Summary:
As temperatures reach record highs in Europe, the continent is facing more intense and longer-lasting heatwaves due to climate change. The ongoing heatwave has significant consequences for tourism, agriculture, and industry. Countries like Italy and Greece are particularly affected, with increasing instances of heat-related illnesses and deaths. Urgent steps need to be taken to address climate change and adapt to its impact. By prioritizing sustainability and implementing mitigation measures, Europe can better prepare for future heatwaves and safeguard its people and the environment.
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As temperatures have reached record highs across the Mediterranean, Europe’s weather forecasting agency has warned that the continent should prepare for more intense and longer-lasting heatwaves.
“We expect heatwaves, like the ones that hit Europe last summer or the one currently underway, to become more intense and last longer due to climate change,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus Climate Change Service. He added that it was still unclear whether a previous record temperature of 48.8C set in Sicily two years ago was surpassed this week.
Temperatures are expected to ease slightly towards the end of this week but will remain “much warmer than normal” in many parts of southern Europe, Buontempo said.
Temperatures reached 40C in Sardinia and Sicily on Monday and Tuesday and were only slightly lower in cities like Madrid and Rome, forcing authorities to close tourist attractions and issue warnings.
The prickly heat on the continent is the result of an anticyclonic high-pressure system, named Cerberus by the Italian Meteorological Society in honor of the mythical monster that guarded the gates of hell. It follows the hottest June on record globally and the hottest first week of July. According to Copernicus, temperatures in June were 0.5°C above the global average.
The climate has had drastic consequences for tourism, agriculture and industry. Several fires outside Athens, which started on Monday, continued to burn on Tuesday, destroying homes and cars and forcing thousands of summer camp residents and children to evacuate the area. Strong winds coupled with high temperatures have placed greater Athens on the highest level of fire alert.
Last weekend one of Athens’ most popular sites, the Acropolis, which receives more than 15,000 visitors a day, had to be closed during peak heat hours.
Lina Mendoni, Greece’s culture minister, said she has received hourly updates on the heat to decide whether to keep the sites open.
“We all have to adapt to the climate crisis we are facing,” he said.
In Italy, health officials declared heat emergencies in 20 cities on Tuesday, rising to 23 on Wednesday, as hospitals were warned to prepare for a potential surge in people suffering from heat-related issues requiring urgent treatment.
In Rome, where tourists have struggled to find cool or shady refreshment spots, the city’s protection organization and volunteers have set up 28 aid points across the city to provide water and medical assistance to those overwhelmed by the heat.
A study conducted Monday by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health estimated that more than 61,000 people died from heat-related conditions in Europe between late May and early September last year, with Italy hit hardest by the heat. . Spain and Germany were also among those with the highest number of deaths from heat-related problems.
Italy’s influential agriculture lobby, Coldiretti, said dairy farmers had resorted to using fans and irrigation systems to cool their livestock, as they warned of a 10 per cent drop in milk production due to the heat stress in animals.
He said farmers would suffer not only from reduced milk production but also from higher water and energy costs as they run cooling systems “to help animals weather the siege of the heat.”
Luca Bergamaschi, founder of Ecco, an independent climate think tank, said the extreme heat – just two months after the agricultural heartland of northern Italy was devastated by massive floods – should be a wake-up call for the government of Italian right wing, which has partly balked at the EU’s ambitious green deal to tackle global warming.
Although Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says members of her right-wing government are not ‘dangerous climate change deniers’, her cabinet has said any measures to combat climate change should be gradual so as not to affect the economy and Italian traditions.
Heatwaves are becoming more common in all parts of the world, but Europe is warming faster than the global average due to its high land mass percentage and location on the land surface.
The record temperatures are the result of climate change, caused by the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities, combined with the emerging El Niño, a cyclical weather pattern in the Pacific causing warmer temperatures globally, according to Dr Robert Rohde, chief scientist at Berkeley Earth, a US non-profit climate research organization, who has predicted that records could be broken again in the coming weeks.
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