There is extreme weather in several parts of the world right now. Southwest Japan has been hit by torrential downpours that have killed at least one person and monsoon rains have caused flooding in southern India. In addition, it is record hot, last week the global daily temperature record was broken.
At a press meeting with the WMO, Omar Baddour says that it is partly because of the El Niño weather phenomenon that it is so hot.
– But also in connection with climate change due to human influence.
The ice in Antarctica is shrinking
Baddour also says that the ice in Antarctica has been greatly reduced by the high temperatures, and in June the amount of ice was 17 percent below average.
– This is a very dramatic loss.
His colleague Dr. Michael Sparrow, director of the world’s climate research program, expresses great concern about the situation.
– It is unprecedented, this decrease in sea ice that we see in Antarctica, Sparrow.
Extreme temperatures are expected in Italy and Spain
One of the countries affected by the heat is Italy, where it is warned of extreme temperatures, up to 47 degrees. Spain has also been affected by a heat wave with temperatures of up to 44 degrees in the southern parts of the country. It is hot air from North Africa that is causing the heat wave, according to the state weather agency AEMET.
Last year’s temperatures in Spain were record high since measurements began in 1916. The extreme temperatures led to over 350 deaths, according to the country’s statistics agency INE.