Why is the world facing record heat waves?

What to do to face the heat wave in the United States? 0:50 (CNN Spanish) – From the United States to China, passing through Europe, the world is burning: high temperatures are already claiming hundreds of lives and the flames are devouring thousands of hectares. Why have heat waves reached these historic dimensions? The answer was long anticipated by scientists: the climate change factor. “Our way of life – based on producing, consuming, discarding and polluting – has led to the planetary emergency we are facing. Now is the time to transform our relationship with nature,” wrote António Guterres, secretary general of the UN, while calling for “credible commitments” to be made on climate matters. His message puts at the center the underlying cause of worsening extreme weather events, which is the increase in temperature as a result of greenhouse gas emissions. How does it impact specifically? We explain here the factors to take into account to understand the current heat waves. 5 tips to stay cool in sweltering heat 1:30 Two pressure systems at play When looking at the cause of extreme heat in the US and Europe, there are two weather systems at play to consider. In Europe, a strong high pressure ridge has allowed temperatures to rise over the continent in recent days. On Tuesday, an area of ​​low pressure moved off the coast, helping to funnel extreme heat north toward the UK. In the United States, a strong dome of high pressure has settled over the southern Plains and the Mississippi Valley. Instead of channeling heat from the south, it is steadily building up as the sun heats through cloudless skies. A worker cools off at a construction site in Toulouse, southern France, on July 13, 2022. (Credit: Valentine Chapuis/AFP via Getty Images) The connection between heat waves: climate change The link between heat waves on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean it is clear to scientists: it is the influence of greenhouse gas emissions and the base temperature of the planet, which is increasing more and more. UK Met Office chief scientist Stephen Belcher said on Tuesday that heatwaves would have been “virtually impossible” in the country in “undisturbed weather”. “But climate change driven by greenhouse gases has made these temperatures possible, and indeed we are facing that possibility now,” he said. What does science say? The global temperature has already risen 1.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Under these circumstances, extreme heat waves are already about five times more likely to occur, according to a key report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released in 2021. The future of the US and the UK United, red hot The outlook for the future is critical. In the UK, Belcher said, such heat waves are likely to occur every three years if greenhouse gases continue to be emitted at current levels. And in the United States? “It’s very difficult to predict exactly when and where, but we can say they will be more intense, longer, more frequent and in more places,” Dr. Andrew Pershing, director of the Climate Central organization, recently told CNN. Recent history records the time of the Dust Bowl, in the 1930s, as the time of the worst drought and heat waves. The summer of 2021 tied 1936 for the hottest temperatures. And, says Pershing, “it’s not going to take too long to see events of that magnitude again.” According to the UN framework report, if temperatures rise two degrees, the probability of heat waves increases 14 times. And it’s not just about how likely they are to happen: With a two-degree rise, the highest temperatures in heat waves could rise by almost three degrees. The heat wave in Portugal has intensified a pre-existing drought and caused forest fires in the center of the country, including the town of Memoria, in the municipality of Leiria. (Credit: PAULO CUNHA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (13027640ab) It is time to “learn to live with fire” Fires have already destroyed thousands of hectares in Spain, France, Portugal and Greece. In Spain, for example, they destroyed more than 70,000 hectares so far this year, almost double the average of the last decade, according to the Prime Minister, Pablo Sánchez.This year, a report by the UN Environment Program, UNEP, warned that it was time to “learn to live with fire” and adapt to the increased frequency and severity of wildfires, which will inevitably endanger more lives and economies.The number of extreme wildfires will increase by up to 14% by 2030, according to the report’s analysis.By 2050, the increase will be 30%Even with the most ambitious efforts to reduce emissions there will be short-term consequences.Global warming, more land intervention and fire suppression policies at the same time The fact that forest management was neglected explains the change in the fire regime, according to the UN.