Southwestern Europe experienced its third heatwave of the summer last month, with the Iberian Peninsula and southwest France hit hard.
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The global average temperature last month was the third-highest ever recorded, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
In its monthly bulletin published Tuesday, the EU-funded program said this August was 0.22C cooler than the two warmest Augusts on record, in 2023 and 2024. However, global average temperatures remained 0.49C higher than the 1991-2020 average for the month.
Third-Warmest Summer
All months between June and August were the third-warmest on record, respectively, making this summer the third-warmest ever recorded, according to Copernicus.
Despite a months-long streak of global temperature records coming to an end this summer, the last 12 months combined were still 1.52C above pre-industrial levels.
Beyond 1.5C of global warming, a limit that is considered breached when consistently surpassed over decades, experts warn that critical tipping points will be breached. This could lead to devastating and potentially irreversible consequences for several vital Earth systems that sustain a hospitable planet, such as rising sea levels, more intense heatwaves, stronger storms, and disruptions to ecosystems and biodiversity.
Europe’s Third Heatwave
Despite not figuring in the continent’s top 10 warmest Augusts on record, last month brought extreme heat to parts of Europe. The third heatwave of the summer hit southwestern Europe hard, bringing record-breaking temperatures and prolonged heat to the Iberian Peninsula and southwest France.
The region has been battling devastating wildfires, which scientists say were fueled by human-caused climate change. A study by World Weather Attribution published last week concluded that climate change made the hot, dry, and windy conditions that have fueled wildfires in Spain and Portugal about 40 times more likely.
Nearly one million hectares – equivalent to almost the land area of Kosovo – have burned across the European Union so far this year, making it the worst wildfire season since records began in 2006. Between January and now, European wildfires generated 39.4 million tons of CO2 emissions, more than triple the amount emitted during the same period of last year.
Outside Europe, temperatures were above average across Siberia, parts of Antarctica, China, the Korean Peninsula, Japan and the Middle East, according to C3S.
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More Frequent and Intense Heatwaves
The increase in extreme heat is a direct result of a warming planet, which is driven by greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. This raises Earth’s surface temperature, leading to longer and hotter heatwaves. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that human-caused climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of heatwaves since the 1950s and every fraction of additional warming will continue the trend.
Every heatwave in the world is now made stronger and more likely to happen because of human-caused climate change.
For Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, last month’s temperature trends “underline not only the urgency of reducing emissions but also the critical need to adapt to more frequent and intense climate extremes.”
Featured image: Kyle Lam/hongkongfp.com.
💡How to stay safe in extreme heat
- 💧Stay hydrated: Drink around two liters of water per day, or about eight glasses. In heat conditions, experts recommend drinking throughout the day and urinating around six to seven times a day, or every two to three hours.
- 🍉Eat nutritious food: Stick to hydrating, fresh food such as watermelon, peaches, berries, grapes, and oranges, vegetables that can be juiced, as well as liquid meals such as soups. Avoid spicy foods, known to make the body sweat. Avoid cooking at home, and opt for the microwave instead of the oven if you have to.
- 💦Exercise responsibly: If you exercise outdoors, take breaks in the shade or indoors to allow your body to cool down faster. Wear sensible attire, such as lightweight, loose-fitting clothing made of breathable fabrics, such as cotton, linen, bamboo, polyester, nylon and microfiber. Hydrate well before a workout and drinking throughout every 15-20 minutes, especially when the physical activity lasts longer than an hour.
- 🌡️Follow local weather services: Check local meteorological services or news channels regularly, as they provide real-time updates and alerts about heat advisories and warnings. Local governments and emergency management agencies often post timely updates on social media platforms as well so keep them monitored.
- 📱Use weather apps: Download reputable weather apps that provide notifications about extreme heat conditions. Many of these apps allow users to set alerts for specific weather events in their area.
- ❗Sign up for emergency alerts: Many cities have rolled out local emergency notification systems or community alert programs that citizens can easily enroll in. These services often send text or email alerts directly to residents during extreme weather events, including heatwaves.
For more tips, check out our article on this topic. To learn more about the risks of extreme heat and how the world is adapting, you can read our 3-part series on extreme heat.
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