WMO warns extreme heat is becoming more frequent and intense
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reports that extreme heat is becoming more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting due to global climate change. John Kennedy, the WMO’s head of climate information, noted that while the high-pressure weather patterns seen this year are similar to those during the summer of 1976, the global warming of recent decades has fundamentally changed the outcome. In 1976, high temperatures were isolated to specific areas, whereas today, much of the globe experiences above-average temperatures.
Parts of Europe are currently experiencing their fifth heatwave of the summer, accompanied by drought, wildfires, and record temperatures. The continent is noted as the fastest-warming region. This heat is being amplified by several factors, including persistent high-pressure systems that trap warm air and reduce cloud cover, exceptionally warm seas in the Mediterranean, and parched soils that heat up more rapidly once moisture is depleted.
Kennedy clarified that the El Niño climate pattern is not contributing to the current European heat, as conditions in the tropical Pacific are currently neutral.
Entities
Europe · John Kennedy · Mediterranean Sea · United Nations · World Meteorological Organization
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 5 SOURCES] El Niño is not contributing to Europe’s current heat because tropical Pacific conditions are currently neutral. kelo.com · athina984.gr · www.capital.gr · www.tportal.hr · www.index.hr
- [● 5 SOURCES] Extreme heat is becoming more frequent, more intense, longer-lasting, and covering wider areas due to climate change. kelo.com · athina984.gr · www.capital.gr · www.tportal.hr · www.index.hr
- [● 5 SOURCES] Marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean and waters west of Europe are fueling hotter conditions on land. kelo.com · athina984.gr · www.capital.gr · www.tportal.hr · www.index.hr
- [● 5 SOURCES] Dry soil intensifies heat because it warms more quickly once moisture is depleted. kelo.com · athina984.gr · www.capital.gr · www.tportal.hr · www.index.hr
- [● 5 SOURCES] High-pressure systems in the Northern Hemisphere trap warm air and block cooler air, allowing heat to build for days or weeks. kelo.com · athina984.gr · www.capital.gr · www.tportal.hr · www.index.hr
- [● 5 SOURCES] Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent. kelo.com · athina984.gr · www.capital.gr · www.tportal.hr · www.index.hr