The United Nations climate chief has described the extreme early heatwave sweeping parts of western Europe as a 'brutal reminder of the spiralling impacts of the climate crisis,' after France and the United Kingdom set new temperature records for the month of May on two consecutive days.
UN Chief Points to Fossil Fuels
Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, stated on Wednesday that the 'main culprit' behind the heatwave is humanity's burning of coal, oil, and gas, which is the primary driver of climate change. 'The science is clear that human-induced climate change is making these heatwaves more frequent and extreme,' Stiell said, as France, Spain, and the UK experienced temperatures typically seen in July or August. He added that protecting human lives, businesses, and economies from extreme heat and other soaring costs of climate change is core business for every nation, and it starts with kicking the fossil fuel addiction much faster.
Record-Breaking Temperatures
The UK recorded a temperature of 35.1°C (95.2°F) at Kew Gardens in London on Tuesday, according to the Met Office, breaking the 34.8°C record set a day earlier. These readings easily surpassed the previous record of 32.8°C set in 1922 and equalled in 1944. France, which expected peaks of 39°C on Wednesday, also recorded its hottest May day ever on Tuesday, with the national heat index hitting 24.8°C, surpassing Monday's 24.6°C record. Météo-France attributed the heat to a 'heat dome' caused by a high-pressure weather front, producing temperatures more than 10°C to 13°C higher than usual for this time of year.
Heat Alerts Across Europe
Thirteen of France's 96 administrative departments were placed on an orange high-temperature alert on Wednesday, the second highest level, requiring the population to be vigilant and take precautions. Another 29 departments were on a more moderate yellow alert. In Spain, temperatures could reach 40°C this week, with an orange weather alert issued for the Basque Country, where temperatures were predicted to hit 37°C on Wednesday. Southern regions were forecast to see 36°C to 38°C, with a high of 38°C in Badajoz. Spain's state meteorological office, Aemet, said temperatures more typical of July had already been recorded, describing the heat as 'more characteristic of the dog days, the hottest period of the year.'
Scientists Express Alarm
Scientists have warned that as the Earth warms, extreme heat events historically confined to high summer are becoming more frequent, more intense, and occurring earlier and later in the year, putting more people at risk. Peter Thorne, director of climate research at Maynooth University in Ireland, where a record May high of 28.8°C was recorded on Monday, said, 'We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that events such as this have been made more likely and more severe due to climate change arising from our emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. Nevertheless, many of the records being set, particularly in the UK and France, are mind-bogglingly crazy.'
Heat-Related Deaths
French authorities reported at least seven deaths directly or indirectly linked to the high temperatures on Tuesday, including two competitors in sporting events and five drownings as people sought relief at swimming spots. In Britain, authorities said four teenagers have drowned in England since Sunday. Rubén del Campo, an Aemet spokesperson, commented, 'Both this episode and the atmospheric pattern that's causing it are part and parcel of climate change and of what's been observed in recent years.'
