Global heat waves show climate change and El Niño are a bad combo

Global heatwaves are becoming longer and more dangerous due to climate change and the El Niño climate pattern, potentially making 2023 the hottest year on record.

Heatwaves and Climate Change: Climate scientists link worsening heatwaves to climate change, noting an increased occurrence and intensity.
* Extreme heat records have been broken in Texas, Southern U.S., Mexico, India, China and Canada, regions grappling with widespread wildfires.
* According to Daniel Swain, a climate scientist, most of the world’s population has experienced record-breaking heat recently.

El Niño’s Influence: The El Niño climate pattern, characterized by warmer global temperatures, is amplifying this year’s heatwaves.
* El Niño begins with the warming of the ocean in the central and eastern Pacific, which in turn alters weather patterns and raises global temperatures.
* Based on current indications, climate experts predict a powerful El Niño this year, potentially leading to more global temperature records.

Heatwaves and Health Risks: Heatwaves, the deadliest weather-related disaster in the U.S., pose numerous health risks such as heat exhaustion, dehydration, heart attacks, and strokes.
* The risks associated with heatwaves are particularly high in lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color, which tend to experience higher temperatures than white neighborhoods.
* Issues such as high humidity can make heatwaves even more dangerous, particularly for outdoor workers and others exposed to the sun for extended periods.

Climate Predictions: Global heat events may become more prevalent if current rates of fossil fuel emissions continue.
* Even if global warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit), extreme heatwaves are expected to be more than eight times more common than in the past.
* According to Swain, ongoing climate change due to human activities is the long-term driver of these events, with El Niño serving as an intensifier.

View original article on NPR

This summary was created by an AI system. The use of this summary is subject to our Terms of Service.

Contact us about this post

Posted

in

by

Tags:

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *