THE HEAT APOCALYPSE IN EUROPE

The recent summers in Europe and America witnessed unusual growth in temperature. The temperature in its high was even more than 40°C. 

The wildfires spread across the Europe and America was the result of extreme heat and the dry weather conditions, resulted in loss of around 19000 hectares of forests in Southwestern France. 

Italy is reeling under the 200 days long drought , especially in Po river basin , which is called as “food bowl” of the Europe.

At least 748 heat-related deaths have been reported in the heat wave in Spain and neighboring Portugal, where temperatures reached 47° C in recent month. 

Considering the average annual temperature, the last eight years have been the hottest ever recorded through direct measurements since the 1880s, a NASA analysis showed. 

Global temperature has seen a rise of 1°C in recent times. Even polar temperature has seen a variation of 3° C. According to the research workers,  anthropogenic factors are responsible for the heat waves witnessed in the northern hemisphere in recent years. 

Recently Europe witnessed, formation of low pressure belt which was receiving hot air from Northern Africa, the phenomenon is called as formation of “ heat dome”. 

The hot air is moving northwards, first affecting Portugal, Spain, France, now the UK, and imminently reaching the Benelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), and western Germany, Switzerland, and northern Italy. 

The introduction of moist air from the Atlantic is triggering the risk of thunderstorms and heavy showers for parts of the UK .

In case of America, a phenomenon called as “jet stream” was conventionally keeping the region cool. It is a narrow band of westerly air currents that circulates around 8 to15 km above the earth’s surface. 

A jet stream carrying cool air from Northern Atlantic weakened and split into two, leading into a heat wave in northern America.  This phenomenon is called as “ Cutoff low” . 

The researchers found that many European heat waves occurred when the jet stream had temporarily split in two, leaving an area of weak winds and high pressure air between the two branches that is conducive to the buildup of extreme heat. 

Efi Rousi, a senior scientist at Potsdam Institute for Climate Research in Germany said that, ‘the current heat wave appeared to be linked to such a “double jet,” which has been in place over Europe’. 

But beyond that, there are other factors, some involving the circulation of the atmosphere and the ocean, that may make Europe a heat wave hot spot.

Warming in the Arctic, which is occurring much faster than other parts of the world, may play a role. As the Arctic warms at a faster rate, the temperature differential between it and the equator decreases. 

This leads to a decrease in summertime winds, which has the effect of making weather systems linger for longer. 

There are also indications that changes in one of the world’s major ocean currents, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, may affect Europe’s climate. 

According to Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer at WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch Programme, ‘the stable and stagnant atmosphere acts as a lid to trap atmospheric pollutants, including particulate matter, increasing their concentrations closer to the surface’. 

This results in a degradation of air quality and adverse health effects, particularly to vulnerable people. It is conducive to episodes of ozone formation near the surface, which has detrimental effects on people and plants.

The demand for fuel gas and electricity has increased due to heat wave in Europe and America. The prices are increasing in the wake of ban on Russian fuel gas. So countries like Germany are demanding to use domestic coal instead of gas.