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Climate breakdown made UK heatwave 10 times more likely, study finds
(The Guardian, 28 Jul 2022) Recent extreme temperatures were higher than those simulated by climate models, analysis reveals.
Climate breakdown made the recent record UK heatwave 10 times more likely, researchers have found. Analysis by World Weather Attribution reveals that temperatures in the UK during the heatwave, when it hit 40.3C, were higher than those simulated by climate models.
The researchers say extreme temperatures in western Europe are rising faster than expected.
To find out whether the heatwave was made more likely by climate change, scientists analysed weather data and computer simulations to compare the climate as it is today with the climate of the past, following peer-reviewed methods. They then analysed the maximum temperatures over two days of the heatwave, when the UK was most severely hit by the warm weather.
Extreme heat in western Europe has increased more than climate models have predicted. While models estimate greenhouse gas emissions increased temperatures in this heatwave by 2C, historical weather records suggest the heatwave would have been 4C cooler in a world that had not been warmed by human activities.
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The Guardian, 28 Jul 2022: Climate breakdown made UK heatwave 10 times more likely, study finds
