Why are countries around the world experiencing excessive heat? | BBC News
Summary
TLDRThe program discusses extreme weather events across four continents, highlighting the impact of climate change. It reports over a thousand deaths in Saudi Arabia due to heat during the Harge Festival and mentions record-breaking temperatures in India, Europe, and the US, where wildfires are exacerbated by high temperatures. Scientists from World Weather Attribution confirm that human-induced climate change has made extreme heat events 35 times more likely, with heatwaves now four times more probable than in 2000. The interview with Ruping, head of urban attribution at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center, emphasizes the importance of nighttime cooling and the role of heat domes in exacerbating heat impacts. The segment also covers individual and governmental actions to mitigate heatwave effects, including early warning systems and heat action plans.
Takeaways
- 🌍 Extreme weather is being experienced across four continents, indicating the impact of climate change on global temperatures.
- 🔥 In Saudi Arabia, over a thousand people died due to extreme heat during the Harge Festival.
- 🌡️ India's capital Delhi has seen temperatures soar above 50° C, causing several deaths.
- 🏛 Greece has experienced its earliest summer heatwave on record.
- 🔥 The United States is battling wildfires exacerbated by high temperatures and a brewing tropical storm.
- ⚠️ A report by World Weather Attribution states that human-induced climate change has made extreme heat events 35 times more likely in the US Southwest, Mexico, and Central America.
- 🌡️ Nighttime temperatures have become up to 200 times more likely to be extreme, impacting human health and recovery.
- 🌳 Climate change is caused by increasing greenhouse gases, which supercharge weather systems and create persistent heat domes.
- ⏰ Heatwave early warning systems can predict maximum temperatures days in advance, providing an opportunity to reduce impacts.
- 🏠 Individual actions such as passive cooling, shading homes, and planting trees can help mitigate heat impacts.
- 🏛️ Governments and organizations like the Red Cross are urged to develop heat action plans, including opening cooling centers and distributing water during heatwaves.
Q & A
What is being discussed in the program's introduction?
-The program is discussing the extreme weather conditions being experienced across four continents, highlighting the impact of climate change on temperatures and recent heat-related deaths.
How many people have reportedly died due to heat in the annual Harge Festival in Saudi Arabia?
-More than a thousand people have reportedly died due to the stifling heat during the annual Harge Festival in Saudi Arabia.
What temperatures have been recorded in Delhi, India, according to the script?
-Temperatures in Delhi, India have been recorded to be more than 50° C.
What is the significance of the report released by scientists from World Weather Attribution?
-The report states that human-induced climate change has made recent extreme heat in the US Southwest, Mexico, and Central America around 35 times more likely.
What is the role of Ruping, the head of urban attribution at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center, in the program?
-Ruping's team helped develop the report on climate change and extreme heat, and she is invited to the program to discuss the findings and implications.
What is the impact of nighttime temperatures on human health as mentioned in the script?
-Nighttime temperatures, which are becoming more likely due to climate change, impact human health as they are when the body is supposed to rest and recover, leading to many heat-related deaths.
What is the mechanism behind the increasing temperatures and heatwaves mentioned in the script?
-The mechanism involves increasing greenhouse gases that warm the planet and supercharge weather systems, leading to heat domes where heat sticks around for extended periods.
What is a 'heat dome' and how does it affect temperatures?
-A heat dome is an area of high pressure with little cloud cover and rainfall, resulting in high temperatures that persist for days, impacting both infrastructure and people's ability to cope with the heat.
How can heatwave early warning systems help mitigate the impacts of extreme heat?
-Heatwave early warning systems can predict maximum temperatures days in advance, providing an opportunity to warn people and reduce the impacts of heatwaves.
What individual actions and government measures are suggested to adapt to the extreme heat?
-Individual actions include staying hydrated, using passive cooling technologies, shading homes, and planting trees. Government measures involve developing heat action plans, opening cooling centers, distributing water, and ensuring access to electricity for cooling.
What is the current situation regarding extreme heat and wildfires in the United States as described by the correspondent?
-Over a quarter of the US population is under an excessive heat advisory with temperatures exceeding 90° F and expected to go over 100° F. Wildfires are breaking out on the west coast, made worse by high temperatures.
How have authorities and the political discourse reacted to the extreme weather conditions?
-The advice from authorities is to stay safe and follow common sense measures such as seeking shade, drinking water, and managing outdoor work for vulnerable groups. The script does not provide specific political reactions but emphasizes the importance of personal and community adaptation.
Outlines
🌡️ Extreme Weather and Climate Change Impacts
The first paragraph of the script discusses the extreme weather events occurring across four continents, highlighting the human cost of climate change. It mentions over a thousand deaths in Saudi Arabia during the Harge Festival due to heat and reports of deaths in Delhi, India, where temperatures exceeded 50°C. Europe and the United States are also experiencing record temperatures, with Greece facing its earliest summer heatwave and the US battling wildfires exacerbated by high temperatures and tropical storms. Scientists from World Weather Attribution have released a report indicating that human-induced climate change has made recent heatwaves 35 times more likely, with a fourfold increase in likelihood since 2000. The report emphasizes the role of greenhouse gases in warming the planet and intensifying weather systems, leading to prolonged heat events known as 'heat domes.' The script includes an interview with Ruping, Head of Urban Attribution at the Red Cross Red Cresent Climate Center, who explains the significance of the findings and the mechanisms behind the heatwaves. It also touches on the importance of heatwave early warning systems and the need for adaptation strategies at the individual and governmental levels.
🔥 US Heatwaves and Wildfires: A Closer Look
The second paragraph provides an update on the extreme weather conditions in the United States, with the first day of summer marking the onset of an excessive heat advisory for over a quarter of the population. Temperatures have soared past 90°F and are expected to exceed 100°F across a wide region from the Ohio Valley to New England, including Maine, which is unusual for such heat. The script mentions school closures in New York City due to the heat and the outbreak of wildfires on the West Coast, with two fatalities reported in New Mexico. The advice given to the public, especially vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and outdoor workers, includes seeking shade, staying hydrated, and being cautious of the effects of certain medications in high temperatures. The script also notes the political discourse around the issue, with authorities urging the public to take common-sense precautions and warning of the potential for even hotter temperatures in the future.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Extreme Weather
💡Climate Change
💡Record-Breaking Heat
💡Harge Festival
💡Delhi
💡Heatwave
💡World Weather Attribution
💡Greenhouse Gases
💡Heat Dome
💡Adaptation
💡Heat Action Plans
Highlights
Extreme weather is being experienced across four continents, indicating the impact of climate change.
Over a thousand people have reportedly died in Saudi Arabia due to record-breaking heat during the Harge Festival.
In India, temperatures in Delhi have reached over 50°C, resulting in several deaths.
Greece is experiencing its earliest ever summer heat wave.
The United States is facing wildfires on one coast and a brewing tropical storm on the other, exacerbated by high temperatures.
A report by World Weather Attribution states that human-induced climate change has made recent extreme heat events 35 times more likely.
The same report indicates that heat waves are now four times more likely than in the year 2000 due to planet-warming emissions.
Ruping, head of urban attribution at the Red Cross Red Cresent Climate Center, discusses the significant increase in both maximum and nighttime temperatures.
Nighttime temperatures are particularly impactful on human health and contribute to heat-related deaths.
Climate change, caused by increasing greenhouse gases, is 'supercharging' weather systems, leading to prolonged heat events.
Heat domes, areas of high pressure with minimal cloud cover and rainfall, are causing temperatures to persist for extended periods.
Heatwave early warning systems can predict maximum temperatures days in advance, providing an opportunity to mitigate impacts.
Individual actions such as passive cooling, hydration, and shading can help reduce heat wave impacts.
The Red Cross provides first aid for heat stroke and helps recognize signs of heat-related illnesses.
Governments and cities should develop heat action plans, including opening cooling centers and ensuring water and electricity access.
More than a quarter of the U.S. population is under an excessive heat advisory, with temperatures expected to exceed 100°F.
Wildfires are breaking out on the West Coast of the U.S., made worse by high temperatures and increased frequency.
Authorities advise the public to stay safe, especially vulnerable groups, by following common sense precautions during heat waves.
Political discourse has yet to fully integrate the urgency of climate change and its effects on extreme weather events.
Transcripts
welcome to the program we're going to
start with the extreme weather that's
being experienced across four continents
a sign that climate change May again
help push temperatures beyond the
record-breaking Heat last summer in
Saudi Arabia there are reports that more
than a thousand people have died
pilgrims at the annual Harge Festival
killed by the stifling heat we'll have
more on that in just a moment in India
there have been several deaths in the
capital Delhi temperatures were reaching
more than 50° C in Europe temperatur
have also risen with Greece experiencing
its earliest ever summer heat wave and
in the United States there are wildfires
on one Coast made worse with high
temperatures and a tropical storm
brewing on the
other well scientists from the world
weather attribution have released a
report today saying human induced
climate change made recent extreme heat
in the US Southwest Mexico and Central
America around 35 times more likely in
their new report scientists said such a
heat wave was now four times more likely
than it was in the year 2000 driven by
Planet warming
emissions let's speak to ruping head of
urban attribution at the Red Cross red
cresant climate Center her team helped
develop the report thank you for coming
on the
program absolutely so just talk us
through the headlines
here yeah so um the Heatwave that we saw
in Central and uh Central America and
North America
um is just evidence of the climate
change that we're seeing around the
world um in our attribution study we
found that climate change made the the
maximum temp temperatures 35 times more
likely and the nighttime temperatures up
to 200 times more likely and that's
really significant because it's really
the nighttime temperatures when your
body is supposed to rest and recover
that has impacts on human health and
that's what's actually causing a lot of
these heat related deaths and just
remind us of the mechanism here what is
happening in what is heating what to
lead to these
temperatures yeah so we know that um
climate change is caused by increasing
greenhouse gases and essentially those
greenhouse gases act to warm the planet
around the world but they're also act
acting to sort of supercharge weather
system so we're starting to see these
heat domes and ESS ually Heats stick
around for an extended period of time um
in different parts of the world we saw
that in uh Mexico and Central America
and we're also starting to see that now
um in the Northern and Eastern parts of
the United States so you said heat Dome
there just expand on that a little for
us what is it yeah absolutely so
essentially it's an area of high
pressure it's a place where you have um
not a lot of clouds not a lot of
rainfall but essentially um you just
have high temperatures that stick around
for for days and days and essentially
that the the duration of that heat
causes a lot of impacts both on
infrastructure but also on people and
people just aren't able to cope when
it's hot during the day and at night
continuously for for days on end so
people are going to have to try and
adapt now is it possible before we get
on to adaptations is it possible to
predict where and when this is going to
happen
so we have Heatwave early warning
systems and we have um typically lots of
warning before a heatwave occurs and so
um in most parts of the world we are
able to predict what the maximum
temperatures are going to be days in
advance and therefore um it actually is
a big opportunity for us to be able to
use that information to reduce the
impacts to warn people in advance of the
heat waves okay so if the warnings could
be in place what then what can people at
do what should government actually
do so there's individual actions so
essentially cooling yourself making sure
that you're drinking water um cooling
your home so passive cooling
Technologies um shading your homes um
making sure you're planting trees
outside or just closing the shades when
it's really hot is what people can do
but then you also have organizations
like the Red Cross where we're providing
first aid for people who are affected by
heat stroke for examp example helping
people recognize the signs of heat
related illnesses and take action before
it's too late and then of course um
cities and governments can work to
together to develop heat action plans
and that means essentially knowing what
they're going to do what services are
they going to provide when there is a
heatwave are they going to open up a
cooling center are they going to uh
distribute water ensuring that people
have adequate access to electricity
which they need in order to cool their
homes um during a heat wve ring thank
you very much for coming on the program
thank
you thanks right we're going to take a
closer look at what's happening with the
weather in the United States now our
correspondent n ikbal is in Washington
DC hi nomia just talk us through what's
happening well leis today is officially
the first day of summer and what a start
you've got more than a quarter of the
population that's under an excessive
heat advisory and generally 135 million
people are in imped and temperatures
have hit more than 90° fah and are
expected to go well over 100 uh from the
Ohio Valley to The Mid Atlantic right up
to New England I mean Maine if you think
about that that's the easternmost state
in the US doesn't usually get excessive
heat but it's thought that records will
be broken there um and in some parts of
uh on the East Coast like New York City
school is out for some uh a lot of
schools uh closed up uh today to let
children go home early uh because of the
excessive heat uh over on the west coast
we're seeing these wildfires break out
and it's worth mentioning that this
happens but it's happening more
frequently with more ferocity uh two
people were killed in New Mexico you
know we heard there some of the advice
that's been given and generally the
advice is especially for vulnerable
people children the elderly those who
work Outdoors especially here you see
them like a lot of construction workers
in parts of DC to just really look after
yourself seek shade make sure you drink
lots of water here in DC it's it's about
about 90° fah there is some cloud cover
so it doesn't feel as as sort of Stuffy
and swampy and stifling as it has been
in the past few days but the
temperatures here are expected to hit uh
over 100 over 100 degre fahit uh um
during the weekend and there will be
some rest bites a meteorologists reckon
that the temperatures might dip dip low
but then they will come right back back
up again next week and onwards and nor
given everything you've just told talked
about there has this seeped into the
political discourse any reaction from
authorities well it's usually the same
author sort of you know messages that we
get is just keep safe you know as much
as you can um you know it's it's kind of
sort of Follow The Common Sense advice
but as I mentioned for those who are in
a certain group children the elderly
those who work outside need to work
outside all day just just manage that
you know drink as much water as possible
get shade where you can there are like
lots of trees around here in DC you know
we're sort of standing under one so we
can get some shade but just try and uh
you know look after yourself in that way
there are also those vulnerable people
who take certain kinds of medicine that
you really can't regulate in this kind
of heat so it's you know warnings for
them as well so that that's just
generally the advice look it always gets
hot in DC I have to say you know I've
been here for a few years and every
summer it's really really hot H I think
this the prediction is that it's going
to get much much hotter so just you know
really heed that advice n yet thank you
so much for that
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