- The climate change signal is even detectable in the number of deaths attributed to heatwaves.
- “It breaks your heart,” said Del Mar Molina, one of the dozens of volunteers who have been patrolling the pavements to collect birds that could be nursed back to health.
- “You never get used to this heat, but we have to deal with it,” said Kim Gallego, 46, a Phoenix city parks employee with a heat rash on her legs.
The north and south poles each set new temperature records in March. In May, the temperature in Delhi reached 49 degrees Celsius. It was 40 degrees in Madrid last week. Experts argue that if emissions continue to rise, the worst effects of the climate catastrophe will be unavoidable as reported by The Guardian.
Unseen readings
When the temperature readings started to come through from Antarctic weather stations in early March, scientists at first thought there might have been some mistake.
Temperatures, which should have been cooling rapidly as the south pole’s brief summer faded, were soaring – at the Vostok station, about 800 miles from the geographic south pole, thermometers recorded a massive 15C hotter than the previous all-time record, while at Terra Nova coastal base the water hovered above freezing, unheard of for the time of year.
“I have never seen anything like this,” ice scientist Ted Scambos, of the University of Colorado, told the Associated Press.
The region was more than 3C warmer than its long-term average, researchers said.
To induce a heatwave at one pole may be regarded as a warning; heatwaves at both poles at once start to look a lot like climate catastrophe.
Since then, weather stations around the world have seen their mercury rising like a global Mexican wave.
Heatwave
A heatwave struck India and Pakistan in March, bringing the highest temperatures in that month since records began 122 years ago.
A study published last month showed that the south Asian heatwave was made 30 times more likely to happen by human influence on the climate.
Vikki Thompson, the climate scientist at the University of Bristol’s Cabot Institute, explained: “Climate change is making heat waves hotter and last longer around the world.”
The current heatwaves are happening as the earth has warmed by about 1.2C above pre-industrial levels – nations agreed, at the Cop26 UN climate summit last November, to try not to let them rise by more than 1.5C. Beyond that, the changes to the climate will be too great to overcome with shady trees or white roofs, and at 2C an estimated 1 billion people will suffer extreme heat.
If we continue with business-as-usual greenhouse gas emissions, there is no adaptation that is possible.
India
Even the mountains, the traditional escape from the unbearable city heat, now offer little respite Every summer, when the heat in the plains becomes unbearable, software engineer Akhilesh Gupta does what the British used to do when they ruled India – pack the family into the car and head out of New Delhi for a long drive to enjoy the cool air of the mountains.
It never used to go beyond 28C. We couldn’t go boating it was so hot.
Data from the Meteorological Department shows that Delhi has recorded a maximum temperature of 42C (and above) on 25 days since the summer began – the highest number of days since 2012.
The kind of crop damage that climate experts have predicted is already happening.
Farmers in north India have seen their wheat being burnt by the sun.
Health issues
Climate experts say heatwaves are what lies ahead for Delhi.
He says heatwaves should not be restricted to days when the temperature crosses a certain officially ordained figure because, for most poor Indians living in slums in homes with tin roofs, the temperature is always five to six degrees hotter than outside.
“People in Delhi will experience extreme discomfort in the coming years.”
Female construction workers already suffer health issues.
Individuals are already feeling the impact.
The lives of people such as Virender Sharma, who sells flowers on the street, have become harsher.
Spain
Distressed swifts fall from their nests, wildfires rage – and everyone wants a slot at the municipal pool The tree-lined streets of the Tiro de Línea neighbourhood in the southern city of Seville have long played host to a little-known guest: one of Spain’s largest swift colonies.
“There were hundreds of dead birds and hundreds of others that were alive but suffering.”
Ecologists estimate that thousands of chicks fled their nests before they could fly.
“It breaks your heart,” said Del Mar Molina, one of the dozens of volunteers who have been patrolling the pavements to collect birds that could be nursed back to health.
“This is a protected species, there should be some sort of climate emergency protocol for these kinds of heatwaves.”
This sense – that Spain needs to prepare for a heating world – echoed across the country as it grappled with a pre-summer heat wave that sent temperatures soaring above 43C in parts of the country.
Wildfires
In light of the country’s 17 regions, firefighters scrambled to quell more than a dozen wildfires.
In the northwest region of Castilla y León, flames swallowed more than 20,000 hectares (49,400 acres) and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people.
Similar debates swirled at schools across the country.
Those who managed to master the fickle app to snap up slots that went on sale 49 hours in advance, still had to beat the crowd.
“It’s impossible,” said Josué González Pérez, 33, after trying for two days without success.
“I’ll be staying at home with the fan on.”
United States
In Phoenix, the country’s hottest city, the temperature hasn’t dropped below 27C for two weeks More than 100 million Americans were urged to stay indoors over the past week, as record-breaking temperatures left multiple people and thousands of cattle dead.
As temperatures climbed to unseasonable highs, tens of thousands of people across Ohio, Michigan and Indiana in the midwest were left sweltering without power after storms and flooding damaged transmission lines.
Two women were confirmed dead in Wisconsin, while in Arizona, the Maricopa county coroner’s office is investigating 48 possible heat-related deaths dating back to April.
The true death toll is likely to be higher but heat fatalities are not reportable.
Gallego starts work at 5 am and on Thursday it was already 44C by the time she knocked off at 1.30 pm.
Emergency housing
In Kansas, a state with twice as many cows as people, 2,000 animals were reported dead due to stress caused by a combination of high temperatures and humidity.
Summer doesn’t officially start until 21 June.
The temperature has not fallen below 27C since the early hours of 7 June.
The extreme heat is especially hard for those working or living outdoors or without air conditioning.
Even with fans running continuously, the temperature inside their apartment hovered at about 32C. The couple has been assessed for emergency housing since the Guardian last week reported the dangerously hot conditions, and with higher temperatures on the way, the movie can’t come soon enough.
“We can’t wait to be somewhere cool, it will be a new beginning for us,” said Jackson.
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Source: The Guardian
