Stand by for extreme weather. WHO recommended keeping cool to avoid the negative health effects of heat and suggested four ways to do so. Sun-seekers flocked to beaches over the weekend as parts of Western Europe sweltered in a heatwave, but authorities urged people to avoid crowded areas and keep wearing masks despite the heat over concern for the rising numbers of coronavirus cases across the continent. Tim Radford is a reporter for Climate News Network. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. How heat waves are endangering Europe’s forests . All rights reserved. Authorities reminded sweltering citizens that masks must continue to be worn where they have been mandated, despite the heat, with a new mask rule for crowded areas even outdoors set to come into effect in Paris on Monday. Credit: Dudemeng via Wikimedia Commons. In Russia in 2010, for instance, the temperature in July went up by 7°C to a daily peak of 40°C in Moscow. © 2020 Copyright France 24 - All rights reserved. Climate News Network is a news service led by four veteran British environmental reporters and broadcasters. I write about sustainability and EU's environmental policies, bench in Piazza Castello during a hot weather day in the city. Staff members are authorities in communicating climate and weather links, sea level rise, climate. Prepare for heat waves on a scale that was once unprecedented. In essence, they are only pointing out that the unprecedented heat waves that have already been recorded this century in Australia, the U.S., Russia, Greece and so on will increase in frequency and extent and in degrees Celsius. Copernicus scientists predict that temperatures across Spain, France and parts of Italy will be well-above average in July, another blow for the European economy. S&P Index data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. Parts of Wales could reach 90 F (32 C), challenging the June all-time records of 93 degrees (33.7 C) for the region, which occurred in 2000 in Machynlleth, Wales. I am currently based in Brussels, where I work as a freelancer for Forbes.com. As average temperatures rise in response to carbon dioxide levels, so will the extremes. But, on the same day, another study of climate extremes suggests that heat waves could actually make things even worse. The UK Met office has issued Yellow warnings. The researchers calculate that because of extreme events that already occur, terrestrial ecosystems – forests, marshes, mangrove swamps, grasslands and so on – absorb around 11 billion tons of carbon dioxide less than they would if there were no extremes. Above-average heat is expected to persist for at least the next nine days in Western Europe. They also used data from a global network of recording stations that samples the air above forest canopies to check their figures, and came to the total of 11 billion tons. “How this effect might be playing out in the context of the abrupt, but also short-term COVID-19 induced changes also in the interplay with other gases needs to be looked at carefully.”. Extra greenhouse gas already in the atmosphere has pushed up global average temperatures. Market data provided by Interactive Data. Authorities in Bournemouth, home to a seven-mile golden stretch of beach, warned that most of the beach was so busy that "safe social distancing is not possible" and urged people to stay away. A potent frontal boundary with much cooler air is set to bring back seasonal temperatures to the region as early as Friday afternoon. In normal climatic conditions, plants absorb carbon dioxide and lock much of it away. France has also been sweltering through a heatwave since Thursday, with temperatures pushing towards 40°C (104°F) in several areas. © 2020 Fortune Media IP Limited. In the stilted language of science, the researchers point out that the effect of fires, drought and baking heat on carbon stores and the flow of greenhouse gases is “non-linear.” That means that a small change in average temperatures can have dramatic effects. Heat waves are a profound health risk in particular for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, which are also a pandemic risk group. “I’d assume it would be key to COVID-proof existing strategies to deal with heat extremes,” concludes Schleussner. A day after Britain recorded its hottest August day in 17 years at 36.4° Celsius (97.5° Fahrenheit) much of its southern coastline was packed with visitors, many of whom had been forced to abandon more exciting foreign holidays because of Covid-19 travel restrictions. “And to reflect thoroughly on additional risks that may arise during a heatwave occurring in a lockdown situation and how to prepare for that.”, I am a reporter focused on the environment, human rights, business, and anything in between. ... — Met Office (@metoffice) August 6, 2020 ️Temperatures have peaked at 32.6°C at Heathrow this afternoon, making it the warmest day so far this year. Warming up today but the heat really arrives tomorrowLike last week not everywhere will experience the exceptional heatUnlike last week the heat may last for several days #UKHeatwave pic.twitter.com/xsken54lCz, England will come close to its hottest temperature of the year Friday, set during last week's intense hot spell. the World Meteorological Organisation made similar predictions in July, Could Kennedy Space Center launch pads be at risk as climate changes? Take Germany, for example, where more than 1% of forests did not recover from last summer’s heat wave. The researchers combined the results from a comprehensive set of climate models, and used them to predict not only the next 30 years but the past as well. Updated 2126 GMT (0526 HKT) August 6, 2020. But an average is only the sum of all the extremes divided by the days in the year. I am currently based in Brussels, where I work as a freelancer for Forbes.com and the European data journalist network EDJNet, among other publications, and as a part-time editor at both The Beam and Headquarters. In particular a reduction in aerosols may lead to an increase in heat extremes,” says Carl Schleussner, head of Climate science and impacts and a scientific advisor to Climate Analytics. The greenhouse gas emissions of the last few decades now mean that regions of the planet subjected to extreme heat will double by 2020 and quadruple by 2040. In abnormal conditions, the response could be the reverse: forest fires, for instance, would release huge volumes of carbon dioxide. We need to be prepared for a long, hot summer, WHO European office warns. © 2020 Forbes Media LLC. Brussels is expecting highs around 34-35 Celsius (mid-90s Fahrenheit) over the weekend. ". Amsterdam and other parts of the Netherlands could experience high temperatures close to 32 Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) this weekend as well. However, this time heat wave conditions are expected to persist for at least seven days in London and some surrounding areas. All Rights Reserved. Belgium could see temperatures soar to 14 degrees Celsius above average in some places Sunday, as highs climb to over 32 Celsius (90 Fahrenheit). Read More. Download the France 24 app, A strange August in Paris: How the city is adapting to keep visitors safe during the pandemic, Paris makes masks compulsory in busy outdoors areas from Monday, Cold comfort: France to ban heaters at outdoor cafés and restaurants, EU to fund transfer of Covid-19 patients between countries as strain on hospitals grows, UK Labour Party suspends former leader Corbyn in wake of anti-Semitism report, Macron says France is 'under attack' after deadly stabbing in Nice, Stabbing attack in French city of Nice kills three people, wounds several, French MPs approve lockdown measures, pupils to wear masks from age 6, German officials agree on partial lockdown to curb mounting Covid-19 cases, Turkey threatens legal, diplomatic action over Charlie Hebdo’s caricature of Erdogan, Children among dead after migrants’ boat capsizes in English Channel, Champions League: Manchester City beat host Marseille 3-0, Belarus workers, students start nationwide strike in new challenge to Lukashenko, UK study finds evidence Covid-19 antibodies may not be long-lasting, Protesters in Italy clash with police over measures to stop Covid-19 spread. “There’s already so much greenhouse gas in the atmosphere today that the near-term increase of heat extremes seems to be almost inevitable,” says Coumou. We would enter a new climatic regime”, said Dr. Coumou. They have followed the mathematical logic of climate models and simple thermodynamics.