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Climate Crisis Fuels US Heatwave
3 Jul
Summary
- This week's US heatwave was virtually impossible due to climate change.
- Extreme heat threatens US Independence Day celebrations and World Cup matches.
- Without emissions, such heatwaves would rarely occur.
A significant heatwave impacting the central and eastern United States this week would have been virtually impossible without the ongoing climate crisis, researchers have determined. The analysis, conducted by the World Weather Attribution consortium, highlights that the current high-pressure system is bringing dangerously hot and humid conditions across a large portion of the country and southern Canada.
This extreme heat is now projected to affect major events, including the 250th anniversary celebrations in Washington D.C. Additionally, World Cup matches scheduled for this weekend in Philadelphia and Miami could be played in potentially unsafe conditions, as previously warned by a global players' union. Researchers stress that the planet-warming emissions, primarily from burning fossil fuels, have fundamentally altered the climate, making such events far more likely.
According to the study, heatwaves of this magnitude occur only about once every 200 years with current warming levels. However, if the planet had not warmed by 1.4C due to emissions, similar events would have been exceedingly rare, occurring perhaps once in many thousands of years. Experts are calling for immediate and swift reductions in greenhouse gas pollution, noting that climate change is already disrupting everyday life and will worsen without a transition to net zero emissions.
