LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The heatwave that hit the Mediterranean in mid-July would have been “virtually impossible” without anthropogenic climate change, says a new analysis from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) network. The analysis found that the extremely hot temperatures in Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, and Morocco would have been between 2.5°C and 3.3°C cooler were humans not burning fossil fuels. While the latest report from the WWA relies on observational data, without extrapolation from climate models, it notes that the results are “very similar to the studies published in 2023 that analysed heatwaves in the same region and included climate models”. Common ground between the observed changes in July 2024 and July 2023 “are a good indicator of how climate change is affecting extreme heat in the Mediterranean,” including the reality that extreme heat events like the one just past “are no longer rare”. “Similar heatwaves affecting Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are now expected to occur on average about once every 10 years in today’s climate that has been warmed by 1.3°C due to human-induced climate change,” writes the WWA. Should humanity fail to shift “rapidly” away from fossil fuel combustion “these events will become hotter, more frequent, and longer-lasting.” And failure to prioritize heat adaptation will mean more intense suffering, and more deaths, with the most vulnerable most exposed to risk. At least 21 people were known to have died of heat-related causes in Morocco last month when temperatures breached 48?. Reporting delays and poor record-keeping in Morocco and elsewhere in the region mean that dozens or even hundreds more “likely” died from heat stress during the July heatwave, but haven’t yet been counted in the total, adds WWA. The WHO said the past two decades have seen a 30% increase in global heat-related deaths, with older adults (especially those living alone), and people with underlying health conditions at particular risk.”Temperature extremes exacerbate chronic conditions, including cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebro-vascular diseases, mental health, and diabetes-related conditions. Extreme heat is a problem particularly for elderly people, especially those living alone. It can also place an additional burden on pregnant women,” Hans Kluge, WHO’s Europe director, said in a statement. European policymakers are beginning to pay attention, with heat action plans “increasingly being implemented across the region,” WWA says.
– Photo Agenzia Fotogramma –
(ITALPRESS).
