Published in ERW, 15 Aug 2013
Researchers in Germany and Spain predict that the world will suffer more extreme heat events thanks to climate change, regardless of the implementation of strong mitigation policies. The study suggests that societies must continue to adapt to heatwaves to prevent heat-related deaths, forest fires or harvest losses.
Scientists now widely accept that greenhouse-gas emissions have led to a rising number of heatwaves. Recent examples include the Russian heatwave of 2010, the US heatwave of 2012 and a European heatwave this year. Abnormally high temperatures can be a devastating repercussion of climate change: the European heatwave of 2003, for instance, is estimated to have caused some 70,000 deaths. […]
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