By: AB G
The number of heat waves in Europe are increasing even more than in the Western United States and are causing severe events such as forest fires. There has been an upwards spike of the average summer temperatures in Europe with the temperature being three digits many more times than previous years. The average temperature in the summer of 2020 in Europe was 117 degrees Fahrenheit or 47 degrees Celsius. The average summer temperature in Europe in 1980 was 105 degrees Fahrenheit, 40.7 degrees Celsius.
Global warming plays a huge part in this problem. Not only are the temperatures of heat waves rising but the frequency of the heat waves is increasing as well. This has been confirmed by the UN’s global panel of climate scientists. It has been almost two degrees Fahrenheit, one and one tenth degrees Celsius, hotter now than in the late 1800s.
Another big cause of this problem in Europe is low air pressure. For example, in Wales, there was extremely low air pressure so there was a heat wave. “Every heatwave that what we are experiencing today has been made hotter and more frequent because of climate change,” said Friederike Otto, a climate scientist.
Europe’s climate is partially determined by the jet stream, which might be another cause of these heat waves. The jet stream is a current of fast-moving air going across Europe. Sometimes the jet stream splits into two parts which is normal, but this has been happening abnormally frequently which may lead to the cause of heat waves. Climate change can make the jet stream become wavier and can make extreme weather events even worse.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/21/world/climate-heat-wave-wildfires-weather-explainer-intl/index.html
https://www.voanews.com/a/why-are-heat-waves-becoming-so-common-in-europe/6673184.html