Some july heat: ‘Virtually impossible’ without climate change, analysis finds

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🗞️ Driving the news: The recent unprecedented high temperatures experienced in the southwestern United States, southern Europe, and northern Mexico can be linked almost indisputably to human-induced climate change, states World Weather Attribution
• This group of global scientists specifically investigates the impact of climate change on extreme weather occurrences

🔭 The context: In early July, climate change likely exposed hundreds of millions of individuals across North America, Europe, and Asia to extreme heat
• Phoenix in the U.S. grappled with temperatures soaring above 110°F (roughly 43°C) for more than 20 days straight, and numerous places in southern Europe experienced unprecedented triple-digit heatwaves

🌎 Why does it matter for the planet: These extreme heatwaves are not solitary incidents but tie into a larger trend of escalating global temperatures, propelled by greenhouse gas emissions
• Researchers suggest that such potent heatwaves would have been essentially inconceivable prior to the industrial revolution, underlining the influence of human endeavors on the climate

⏭️ What's next: If greenhouse gas emissions persist at their present pace, the likelihood of extreme heat occurrences will only amplify
• Even with an emission reduction, temperatures will not recede; they will merely stop escalating
• To adapt to these conditions and lessen future ramifications, robust efforts to decrease emissions are essential, alongside fortifying our infrastructure and cities to withstand extreme heat

💬 One quote: "Without climate change, we wouldn't see this at all” ( Friederike Otto, senior lecturer in climate science at Imperial College London)

📈 One stat: According to the study, without human-caused climate change, China's heatwave would have occurred only once every 250 years
• However, if the atmosphere continues to contain the same concentration of greenhouse gases, similar heatwaves could be expected in the U.S. and Mexico approximately once every 15 years, with a 1 in 10 and 1 in 5 annual chance in Southern Europe and China respectively

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