A study published on Thursday shows that Europeans, especially those in the southern part of the continent, are being subjected to more heat stress during the summer months as climate change causes longer periods of extreme weather.
Comparisons of data going back over decades show record heat last year resulted in hazardous conditions for human health, according to the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
“Southern Europe experienced a record number of days with ‘very strong heat stress,’” defined as temperatures from 38 to 46 degrees Celsius (100 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit), it said.
Read also: Drought now a major national concern in Spain, PM says
The report shows the number of summer days with “strong” (32 to 38 Celsius) or “very strong” heat stress is rising across the continent, while in southern Europe this is also the case for “extreme heat stress” days above 46 Celsius, Copernicus said. This means the number of days with ‘no heat stress’ is decreasing.
As the planet continues to warm due to human-made climate change, heat stress has become a significant issue worldwide and experts say it can cause a wide range of health problems, including rashes, dehydration and heat stroke.
The warning was contained in the annual Copernicus European State of the Climate report which confirmed that the continent experienced its second warmest year on record in 2022. Last summer was the hottest on record across Europe at 1.4 Celsius (2.5 Fahrenheit) above the reference period of 1991-2020.
High temperatures and low rainfall also resulted in widespread drought, while summer wildfires caused the highest carbon emissions in 15 years, Copernicus said.
Story was adapted from AP.
