The world must prepare for more intense heat waves, the United Nations (UN) warned on Tuesday, as the Northern Hemisphere approaches a peak of heat waves.
“These phenomena will continue to increase and the world must prepare for more intense heat waves,” John Nairn, an expert at the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said at a press conference in Geneva.
The @WMO will examine possible new temperature records as intense heatwaves grip the southern US, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East and some countries in Asia, including China. #StateOfClimate
https://t.co/5NRWpDGJWu pic.twitter.com/RTcBDsnx4n
– World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) July 17, 2023
“The recently announced El Niño phenomenon will only amplify the occurrence and intensity of extreme heat waves,” he explained.
In North America, Asia, North Africa and the Mediterranean basin, temperatures are expected to exceed 40°C for several days this week due to the intensification of the heat wave.
“One of the remarkable phenomena we observed is that the number of simultaneous heat waves in the Northern Hemisphere has increased sixfold since the 1980s. This trend shows no signs of abating.”said the expert.
“Therefore, I fear that we are not at the end of our troubles and that these heat waves are having a serious impact on human health and livelihoods.”he added.
Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are the main drivers of climate change because they absorb the solar heat radiating from the Earth’s surface, trap it in the atmosphere and prevent solar radiation from being reflected back into space.
When this cycle is in balance, it keeps the planet at a habitable temperature, but an unsustainable increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere means more heat is trapped, causing other climate anomalies in addition to global warming.
When asked what individuals could do to cope with climate change, John Nairn defended the fight against fossil fuels.
“I think the simplest thing is to electrify everything. It’s a simple message. It’s about stopping carbon-based fuels and electrifying everything,” he said.
Source: DN
