Europe is currently experiencing an unexpected surge in temperatures, with several countries witnessing record-breaking highs. The EU climate monitor recently revealed that the Northern Hemisphere summer had set unprecedented temperature records. In France, the average September temperature is forecasted to be 21.5 degrees Celsius, significantly surpassing the 1991-2020 reference period by 3.5C to 3.6C, according to media reports.
This warming trend is not confined to France, as Germany records its hottest September since the commencement of national records, with temperatures nearly 4C higher than the baseline from 1961-1990. Poland, too, reported a historic high for September temperatures, reaching 3.6C above the average, marking a century-high record.
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Austria and Switzerland, nestled in the Alps, are not exempt from this heatwave, experiencing their hottest-ever average September temperatures. Alarming findings also surfaced about Swiss glaciers losing 10 percent of their volume in just two years due to extreme warming.
Southern European nations are bracing for abnormally high temperatures, as Spain and Portugal's national weather institutes issued warnings of temperatures surpassing 35C in parts of southern Spain.
Scientists attribute this rise in temperatures to climate change fueled by human activities, pushing global temperatures approximately 1.2C above pre-industrial levels. The Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union predicts that 2023 might become the hottest year on record.
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The El Nino weather phenomenon, which warms southern Pacific waters and beyond, has recently commenced, indicating that higher temperatures may continue.
These disruptions to climate systems are intensifying extreme weather events globally, including heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, and storms, resulting in significant human and property losses.
As world leaders prepare to convene in Dubai for crucial UN talks starting on November 30, the primary focus will be on strategies to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change. Key agenda items include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, phasing out polluting gas, oil, and coal consumption, climate finance, and expanding renewable energy capacity.
UN climate report lead author Francois Gemenne emphasized the inevitability of continually breaking heat records until carbon neutrality is achieved, highlighting the urgency for concerted global efforts to address the escalating climate crisis.
