Heat waves in Europe and the world. WMO expert translates. “We should act quickly”

July in the northern hemisphere is exceptionally hot – this week thermometers showed values ​​above 40 degrees Celsius in the Mediterranean, southwestern United States or Asia. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) predicts that heatwaves will stay with us.

READ ON: Why is this year so hot?

John Nairn, senior advisor on extreme heat at the WMO, told Reuters the forecast for the coming months.

‘In Europe and around the northern hemisphere, the peak of the heatwave season is from January to August,’ he said. – The meteorological systems that are responsible for the distribution of heat are rather stationary. So we should expect or at least prepare for the eventuality that extreme heatwaves will continue into August, he added.

He added that as a result of climate change, hot periods will become more frequent, and in addition we will observe them at different times of the year.

‘We see a clear upward trend in global average temperature, which will contribute to an increase in the intensity and frequency of heatwaves,’ explained Nairn. “We have more and more indications that these waves will intensify in the spring, so in the near future they will dominate at least half of the year” – he added.

According to a recent report by the UN agency, last summer due to extreme heat in Europe more than 60,000 people died. This is why it is so important to create plans to respond to long periods of high temperatures and to raise awareness about the risks.

The expert emphasized that one of the main factors driving anthropogenic climate change is the burning of fossil fuels. Reducing their consumption should be the first of many steps in the fight against global warming.

So ultimately it’s not impossible to fix this situation, but it’s been there for a long time. We won’t be able to recover immediately, but we should certainly act quickly.”