If you follow the religious line, many would say that what is happening in the world resembles a scene from the eighth chapter of the Apocalypse. Not in vain, the heat wave has been called ‘Apocalypse 4,800’, referring to the high temperatures recorded even in the Italian Alps, where 0 degrees have been reported, something unusual for mountains almost 5,000 meters above sea level. At this time of year. On average, the temperature ranges from – 10 to – 20 degrees.
But this is not a novel event, it is just more intense. For decades, there has been talk of the effects of climate change and the accelerated progress in global warming. And although actions have been agreed at global environmental summits to mitigate the problems, the truth is that the consequences are increasingly noticeable.
World scientists warned about what has been experienced in India and Pakistan, and considered it a “foreshadow” of what would come —and will come— later. In the first country, the temperature records in March —which rose to 50 °C— were the highest in 122 years, while in the second, at that time, one of the driest seasons was recorded: 62 percent a hundred less rains than normal.
A global study, taken up by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) concluded that the heat wave in South Asia was 30 times more likely due to climate change. Almost a hundred deaths were reported in Pakistan during those weeks. Now, the country is suffering the ravages of monsoon rains and floods that have already left more than 300 dead.
Last year, North America witnessed the world’s extreme heat. The maximum peak was 49.6 °C in Lytton, British Columbia, the highest temperature in Canadian history. In that place, reports indicate that 9 out of 10 houses were destroyed by fires due to the heat wave at the time. In that country and in the western United States, 798 confirmed deaths were registered, although the local press estimates that the figure doubled.
On the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, in Europe, the worst heat wave in three decades was recorded at the time. In northern Greece, temperatures rose to 47.1 °C. The Peloponnese and Athens suffered the ravages of fires. This year, the panorama has not been different, the country has registered up to 43 °C, according to agencies, and emergencies have been reported in the north.
The highest temperature recorded in Europe was 48 °C, in Greece in 1977, according to the WMO; although it is presumed that in 2021, in Sicily (Italy) 48.8 °C were recorded.
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