Longer and More Deadly Heat Waves in a 2C World
On Monday Scientists said in the Northern hemisphere summers will be expected to deliver longer heatwaves, droughts and some showers of rain even if humans manage to stop Global Warming at 2 degrees Celsius.
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These weather events have already become more intense with one degree warming since pre-industrial times. A single heatwave in 2003 lead to 70,000 excess deaths in Europe only.
A new study that was published in the Journal Nature Climate Change, shows that such events are likely to last if temperatures rise another degree.
A small increase in the length of time for extreme weather events can affect human health, biodiversity, food production and economic growth.
The heat wave in Europe in 2018 led to 15% wheat yield losses in Germany. A significant shift was seen in Summer weather conditions.
In the US there has been wet weather for the past 12 months. There has been a weakening of the large-scale summer atmospheric circulation, which includes storm tracks and Jetstream – as the planet warms. Tis was reported by a researcher at Vrije University Amsterdam.
Heatwaves Lasting Two Weeks
The possibility of heat waves lasting more than two weeks in a 2C world will go up by 4% more than what it is today. Water bearing typhoons and hurricanes can now persist longer in one place, due to a weakening in circulation.
CO2 emissions have climbed to new heights since the last two years even though the 2015 Paris agreement which will be enforced next year, enjoins the world’s nations to limit warming to well below 1.5C and 2C if that is possible.
In Central North America drought-like conditions that has lasted more than 14 days will be seen 10% more frequent.
Bouts of sustained heavy rain will increase by more than a quarter across the whole northern temperature zone.
A Study revealed that CO2 emissions are on track to rise again in 2019. The world is on track to 3C if there is no urgent action because of the slow pace at which emissions are being reduced.
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