Extreme heat becoming more frequent and intense, says UN agency

Geneva: Extreme heatwaves are becoming more common, intense, and prolonged due to climate change, according to the UN weather agency. Parts of Europe are experiencing their fifth heatwave this summer, compounded by drought, wildfires, and record-breaking temperatures.

John Kennedy, the head of climate information at the World Meteorological Organization, explained that the current heatwave pattern in Europe is a result of high-pressure systems trapping warm air and blocking cooler air from moving in. These systems are amplified by a warmer climate, allowing heat to build over large regions for days or weeks.

Kennedy noted that while June 1976 had a similar high and low pressure system configuration, the outcomes were vastly different due to decades of global warming. In 1976, only a few isolated areas experienced above-average temperatures in a much cooler world. Today, however, much of the globe is experiencing above-average temperatures, with only a few cooler regions.

Exceptionally warm seas and parched soils are exacerbating the situation, Kennedy explained. Marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean Sea and waters west of Europe are providing additional background warmth for persistent high-pressure systems, while dry ground warms more quickly once moisture is depleted. These factors are converging to produce the record heat being witnessed this year.