extreme weather

Cerberus heatwave: Why is it so hot in Europe and how long will it last?

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https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/07/13/cerberus-heatwave-why-is-it-so-hot-in-europe-and-how-long-will-it-last

Why is it so hot in Europe?

Extreme temperatures have hit Europe this year as the world swelters through the El Niño weather pattern, and greenhouse gas emissions warm our climate.

But the latest highs have been made worse by an anticyclone dubbed ‘Cerberus’. This area of high pressure started in the Sahara before moving across northern Africa and into the Mediterranean.

The heatwave was named by the Italian Meteorological Society after the fiery-eyed, three-headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld in Greek mythology.

How hot will Europe get?

The Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily could simmer in 48°C in the coming days, potentially reaching “the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe,” according to the European Space Agency (ESA).

In August 2021, Sicily hit 48.8°C – the current record.

Rome, Bologna and Florence are among the 10 Italian cities currently under red alert for extreme heat.

Spain’s weather service said thermometers could potentially hit 45°C southeastern areas of the Iberian Peninsula, which are also under an alert for extreme heat. The temperature of the ground in parts of the country has hit more than 60°C.

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https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/07/13/cerberus-heatwave-why-is-it-so-hot-in-europe-and-how-long-will-it-last

Continue ReadingCerberus heatwave: Why is it so hot in Europe and how long will it last?

Floods, tornadoes, heat: more extreme weather predicted across US

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/13/more-extreme-weather-across-us

Over a third of Americans under extreme heat warnings as Vermont, still recovering from historic flooding, prepares for more storms

The US is bracing for more extreme weather from coast to coast, with a heatwave hitting California, tornadoes in the midwest and the east expecting more rain as it continues to reel from historic flooding.

Residents of Vermont, still suffering from an onslaught of dangerous weather in recent days, are preparing for another round of severe storms in the area beginning as early as Thursday night.

Historic flooding in the state has damaged thousands of homes, businesses and roads, and has left some residents stranded. One death was confirmed by the state department of health, a 63-year-old man who drowned in his home. More than 200 rescues and 100 evacuations have taken place as a result of the extreme storms.

Across the US, more than a third of Americans were under extreme heat advisories, watches and warnings as the heatwave baking the nation spread further into California. The sweltering conditions were expected to build on Friday and through the weekend in central and southern California, where many residents were told to prepare for the hottest weather of the year by the National Weather Service.

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/13/more-extreme-weather-across-us

Continue ReadingFloods, tornadoes, heat: more extreme weather predicted across US

UK told to prepare for possible 30% increase in uncomfortably hot days

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/13/uk-told-to-prepare-for-possible-30-increase-in-uncomfortably-hot-days

Britain and Switzerland among countries that need to adapt most for heating, says research looking at impact of 2C global rise

The UK and Switzerland will see a 30% increase in the number of days of uncomfortably hot temperatures if the world heats by 2C, and are two of the countries which need to adapt the most for global heating, scientists have predicted.

The research, published in Nature Sustainability on Thursday, found that while central Africa will see the most extreme temperatures overall, it is mostly northern European countries that will experience the greatest relative increases in uncomfortably hot days.

The people and infrastructure in these countries are not prepared for periods of hot weather, the study, based on climate modelling and data from the UK Met Office, predicts. The estimates by researchers at the University of Oxford are conservative, and do not include external factors such as extreme heatwaves, which would come on top of this average increase.

Norway will also suffer one of the world’s most dramatic increases in days that require cooling interventions, the study finds, with a 28% increase in days with uncomfortably hot temperatures if the world misses the 1.5C target. Eight of the 10 countries with the greatest relative increase in uncomfortably hot days are expected to be in northern Europe.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/13/uk-told-to-prepare-for-possible-30-increase-in-uncomfortably-hot-days

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‘Uncharted territory’: UN declares first week of July world’s hottest ever recorded

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/11/uncharted-territory-un-declares-first-week-of-july-worlds-hottest-ever-recorded

Extreme temperatures break records as scientists warn El Niño is set to get worse

The beginning of July was the hottest week on record for the planet as a whole, according to the World Meteorological Organization. This year had already seen the hottest June on record, the UN body said, driven by climate change and the early stages of an El Niño weather pattern.

It is the latest in a series of records halfway through a year that has seen a drought in Spain and fierce heatwaves in China as well as the US.

“The world just had the hottest week on record, according to preliminary data,” the WMO said in a statement, adding that temperatures were breaking records on land and in the oceans, with “potentially devastating impacts on ecosystems and the environment”.

“We are in uncharted territory and we can expect more records to fall as El Niño develops further and these impacts will extend into 2024,” said Christopher Hewitt, WMO director of climate services.

“This is worrying news for the planet.”

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/11/uncharted-territory-un-declares-first-week-of-july-worlds-hottest-ever-recorded

Continue Reading‘Uncharted territory’: UN declares first week of July world’s hottest ever recorded

Heatwaves Sweep Across Europe

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Painting by Lady Frieda Harris used as the Hermit card in the Thoth tarot. It includes an image of Cerberus, the three-headed dog from Greek mythology..
Painting by Lady Frieda Harris used as the Hermit card in the Thoth tarot. It includes an image of Cerberus, the three-headed dog from Greek mythology..

https://bnn.network/breaking-news/climate-environment/italy-braces-for-record-breaking-heatwave-as-cerberus-anticyclone-approaches/

Italy is preparing for a fierce heatwave this week as an anticyclone named Cerberus brings temperatures close to breaking the European record. The high pressure system will cause temperatures to exceed 40C (104F) across much of the country by Wednesday, with Sicily and Sardinia expected to reach 47-48C.

This is the first major heatwave to hit Italy this year, following a spring and early summer marked by storms and flooding. The record for the highest temperature in European history was broken on August 11, 2021, when Floridia, a town in the Sicilian province of Syracuse, registered a high of 48.8C.

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A heatwave is also sweeping across France, Germany, Spain, and Poland. In Spain, where temperatures could reach up to 44C in some southern parts of the country, the Red Cross has urged people to take extra care and check on those most vulnerable to high temperatures.

The organization is calling on people to stay hydrated, avoid caffeine and alcohol, and watch for signs of heatstroke. Spain’s state meteorological office, Aemet, said temperatures could reach 38C across many parts of the Iberian peninsula on Monday.

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https://bnn.network/breaking-news/climate-environment/italy-braces-for-record-breaking-heatwave-as-cerberus-anticyclone-approaches/

Continue ReadingHeatwaves Sweep Across Europe