Climate change causes extreme weather, such as extreme heat. Last summer, more than 62,000 people died in Europe due to the heat.
According to Climate Reanalyzer, July 3-17 day in the world has been hotter on average every day than ever before at least in the history of satellite measurements, i.e. since 1979 onwards.
The previous global average daily temperature record of 16.92 degrees Celsius was broken on August 14, 2016 and July 24, 2022.
Research professor at the Department of Meteorology Hannele Korhonen says in a telephone interview that he has not previously been familiar with the University of Maine to the Climate Reanalyzer websitebut sees its data as based on a reliable reanalysis that combines measurement and model data.
– The data is reliable in itself, but it is necessary to verify afterwards whether there have been any errors, he comments.
According to Korhonen, there is reliable measurement data from the end of the 19th century until today. However, there is reliable daily data only from around the middle of the 20th century. Since 1979, in addition to surface measurements, satellites have been used with more regionally comprehensive data.
Korhonen says that the world’s average temperature is calculated by combining different measurement observations from satellites, the continent and the seas.
In addition, mathematical methods have been created to be able to examine temperatures in areas from which measurements are not available so closely. Such areas can be found, for example, in mountains and deserts.
The importance of climate change itself, not just the records
According to Korhonen, the average temperature is important, because it affects the average living conditions on Earth. The average temperature affects, for example, whether there are traditional snowy winters in Finland.
– A rise in the average temperature means, for example, an increase in heavy rains or urban floods, and also that there are more extreme phenomena.
When greenhouse gas concentrations increase in the atmosphere, even more energy is committed to the climate system, which is directly reflected in the increase in average temperatures and the prevalence of extreme temperatures, says Korhonen.
– If we had had exactly the same meteorological conditions 50-100 years ago, it would have been warm even then, but the highest temperatures would have been clearly lower.
The highest predicted temperatures in Europe this summer are not far from the heat record of 48.8 degrees in the history of measurements. It is possible that the record will be broken. However, Korhonen hopes that we don’t just talk about records, even though they arouse people’s interest.
– Climate change is progressing all the time, regardless of whether we now surpass the previous record by even one tenth. – – It’s more important to talk about combating climate change in general.
Last summer, more than 62,000 people died from the heat in Europe
According to a recent study last year, up to 62,000 people died in the extreme heat in Europe. According to Korhonen, the number is really big, and people may not really understand its magnitude.
– Intense heat waves, heat waves may not seem as visually dramatic as hurricanes or heavy rains, where people may leave with the mass of water.
According to Korhonen, heat waves are especially dangerous for the elderly and the chronically ill.
He says that the temperatures have been so high that they are also a great stress factor for the body of a healthy adult and may cause premature deaths. If the temperature approaches 45 degrees, dehydration is a real problem and the risk of heat stroke increases.
Korhonen sees it as possible that the number of people who died from the heat this summer could increase due to the long hot periods. However, there is still no information about what the end of summer will be like.
He reminds us that extremely hot heat does not directly mean that more people die.
– If we are able to protect those in the most vulnerable position, this will not happen. For example, we can make sure that the nursing home has good air conditioning and provides enough water.
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The story uses the phone interview of Hannele Korhonen, a research professor at the Institute of Meteorology, and the aam interview on July 18.