Image Credit: Weather Underground
As the global warming debate continues to heat up (no pun intended), Europe recently experienced a sweltering June heat wave.
Scientists stated that climate change made the wave five times more likely to happen and more potent than ever.
Parts of Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands all set record highs, while France experienced an all-time high of 114.6 degrees Fahrenheit! In order to establish if this particular heat wave was connected with climate change, scientists had to go back and check out previous data.
They looked at three-day cycles and compared the data with previous findings in France. They also compared it to climate simulations to help assess the role of climate change. The team found that the recent heat wave in France was 100 times more likely to occur than it would have in 1901.
The findings still need to be peer reviewed, but the scientists are confident in their findings that climate change definitely contributed to the heat wave. They are also certain that the intensity of the heat wave is a result of climate change, as well. They found that the average temperature during the heat wave would have been at least 4 degrees cooler than what has been reported this year.
The fear is that people will struggle to get through the Summer months this year with a heat wave hitting so early in June. Scientists will continue to collect data and see if this becomes a trend throughout other parts of the world.
