Record-breaking heatwaves are sweeping across the northern hemisphere, affecting large parts of southern Europe, the US and China. On July 24, Sicily recorded blistering temperatures of more than 47.5℃ and wildfires are currently tearing through Greece. The heatwaves come as record numbers of fires continue to burn across Canada.
A study by the World Weather Attribution group found that these heatwaves would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change. In fact, the heatwave that is affecting parts of China was made 50 times more likely by global warming. This is exactly what climate scientists have been warning us about for decades – climate change makes many types of extreme weather event more likely, more intense and longer lasting.
