“We’ve got clear signs that they are already on the rise in the spring.”
Geneva:
A heatwave is expected to continue across a large part of the world throughout August, following record temperatures in recent weeks, an advisory on extreme heat said on Friday.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said earlier this week that it expected temperatures above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in North America, Asia, North Africa and the Mediterranean to “intensify a prolonged heat wave this week”.
“We should expect, or at least plan, that these extreme heat waves will continue into August,” John Nairn, the WMO’s senior extreme heat advisor, told Reuters.
Southern Europe is battling record-breaking heat during the peak summer tourist season, prompting authorities to warn of an increased risk of health problems and even death.
Extreme weather has also thrown life out of gear for millions of Americans, with dangerous heatwaves spreading from Southern California to the Far South. The extreme heat has also affected the Middle East.
Nairn said climate change means heat waves will become more frequent and spread across all seasons.
“We are on trend to see an increase in global temperatures that will contribute to an increase in the intensity and frequency of heat waves,” Nairn said.
“We’ve got clear signs that they are already on the rise in the spring.”
Some countries, including the 27-member European Union, are hoping all countries will agree to a phase-out of fossil fuel consumption that causes climate change at UN climate talks later this year.
Countries with oil and gas resources have opposed the idea.
“There is very strong evidence that if we eliminate fossil fuels, a major contributor to what we are seeing will be reduced,” Nairn said.
“We can’t change this in a hurry, but we certainly can take action.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV Staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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