WMO noted that the European heatwave is unusual "because it is so early and so widespread."
Comparisons are already being drawn between the 2003 heatwave, which killed an estimated 70,000 people, and this one. The difference is that the 2015 is much earlier and Europe is much better prepared with heat-health action plans.
"The heatwave is still ongoing and it is premature to say whether we can attribute this to climate change. But climate change scenarios predict that heatwaves will become more intense, more frequent and longer," Clare Nullis, WMO spokeswomen told a press conference.
Many countries have issued heat advisories and alerts for Friday and Saturday, including the maximum red alert for Switzerland and western Poland and amber alerts for much of France.
- Nullis told Xinhua that the heatwave in Europe is because of hot air from Africa moving up through Europe, hitting Spain and Portugal first before moving further north.
Nullis said the most vulnerable are the elderly and the very young, adding that advice from health agencies includes that avoiding strenuous exercise or activity, drinking lots of water, staying indoors in the afternoon and generally try to stay cool.
Source:Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
3/7/15
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Related:
WMO: Premature to Tell If Intense Heat Linked to Climate Change ...
ReplyDeleteThe World Meteorological Organization said it is too soon to know whether intense heat waves sweeping Europe, parts of the United States and southern China are linked to climate change. The WMO said more investigation is needed to determine the cause of the phenomenon.
Millions of people throughout Europe are wilting under temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius, in some cases. The World Meteorological Organization warned no immediate respite from the extreme heat is in sight as many parts of Europe will continue to see extremely high temperatures and dry weather conditions over coming days.
WMO spokeswoman Claire Nullis said the current heat wave is unusual because it is so early in the season and so widespread.
“We are getting comparisons between this heat wave and the one in 2003, which was the big European heat wave, which killed tens of thousands of people in Europe," she said. "The difference is that the 2015 heat wave … is much earlier and Europe is much, much better prepared to cope................http://www.voanews.com/content/wmo-premature-intense-heat-linked-climate-change/2847945.html
Spanish forecasters warn extended heat wave is coming...
ReplyDeleteSpain's meteorological agency is warning people to brace for high temperatures across much of the country over coming days.
The agency said Saturday that "temperatures will be significantly higher in much of the peninsula and the Balearic Islands," exceeding 35 degrees Celsius (95 F) and reaching 40 C (104 F) in much of the southern and eastern parts of the country.
The forecast predicted some respite in the form of showers and thunderstorms on July 10-11.
Last week, weather stations across Spain warned people to take extra precautions because high temperatures increase the risk of devastating wildfires.
Across the border, Portugal is also braced for fires after an exceptionally dry winter and the hottest and driest June for 12 years. Almost 54 per cent of mainland Portugal is enduring severe drought.
Associated Press
ctvnews.ca