UN: the world will have to cope with heatwaves

With much of Europe sweltering in high summer temperatures, the United Nations Meteorological and Climate Agency said on Tuesday that the world will have to cope with periods of extreme heat.

According to the World Meteorological Organisation, human-induced climate change is likely to lead to more frequent and intense heat waves in the future.

WMO's Clare Nullis explained that in the northern hemisphere, July has long been the hottest month of the year, but that such early summer heat is unusual, although not unprecedented.

Extreme heat is often referred to as the "silent killer", she said, and the number of fatalities is rarely published in official statistics, unlike, for example, the death toll in a tropical cyclone.

„It is important to stress that every heat-related death is preventable: we have the knowledge, we have the tools, and we can save lives“, – she added.

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, Ms Nullis said that Western Europe is currently experiencing the effects of a strong high pressure area.

„It traps the hot air from North Africa over the region and, as we can see, has quite a big impact on our well-being and behaviour,

One of the main factors behind the extreme heat is the extraordinary surface temperature of the Mediterranean Sea.

„It is equivalent to a heatwave on land. The Mediterranean Sea is currently experiencing a rather extreme marine heat wave, which contributes to the extreme land temperatures," said C. Nullis.

The heat island effect only makes the situation worse in cities, she said, because they lack greenery to absorb heat and reinforced concrete surfaces reflect it.

According to the PMO, early warning measures and coordinated action plans are essential to ensure public safety, and meteorologists are getting better at both.

„Extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and intense due to man-made climate change. We have to learn to cope," said Mr Null.

She added: "What can we expect in the future? More of the same, only more of the same, and worse.“