What were the most severe heat waves in history, according to science

A study conducted by scientists from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom revealed the most intense heat waves in the history of the planet. As they explained, In addition to the event recorded during June 2021 in Canada and the United States, three other record-setting phenomena have been identified on their continents.

The recent heat wave in Canada and the United States has shocked the world. however, We show that there have been some larger extremes in recent decades. We find that too Extreme heat events are likely to increase over the next centuryClimate scientist and study author, Dr. Vicki Thompson.

In this sense, according to the analysis published in the magazine science advances, There are other heat waves that may “go unnoticed” either because they are getting old or because they have occurred in “more deprived” countries or regions.. They also predicted that as the temperature increases due to global warming, heat waves are expected to get even hotter in the future.

“Climate change is one of the biggest global health issues of our timeWe have shown that many heat waves outside the developed world have gone largely unnoticed. The burden of heat on nationwide deaths may be in the thousands of deathsCountries with temperatures outside their normal range are most vulnerable to these shocks, said a professor of climate sciences at the University of Bristol and co-author of the research. Dan Mitchell.

As the scholars note in the paper, In addition to the heat wave that was recorded in western North America, during that hemispheric summer, a record-breaking temperature with a Canadian record high of 49.6°C in Lytton, British Columbia on June 29, a 4.6°C increase from the previous peak; also 3 more events were identified where the temperature exceeded the previous signs detected on their continents:

– April 1998, Southeast Asia: The temperature reached 32.8°C

– November 1985, a maximum temperature of 36.5 degrees Celsius was detected in Brazil

– July 1980, southern United States: The temperature reached 38.4 ° C

Dozens of international media covered, with almost daily update, how a heat wave identified in western North America was unfolding, described as the most dangerous meteorological event in Canadian history, since many deaths were recorded. But that’s not all, there have also been wildfires that have caused damage to the area’s infrastructure and crops.

“We will remember the heat wave in western North America of widespread devastation. However, the study shows Several major weather extremes in recent decades, some of which have largely gone under the radar Probably because it occurs in the most disadvantaged countries,” said the member Cabot Institute for the Environment at the University of Bristol.

For this reason, he highlighted the importance ofAssess the intensity of heat waves in terms of local temperature variability because both humans and the natural ecosystem will adapt, so in areas where there is less contrast, a smaller absolute maximum can have more harmful effects. “

On the other hand, looking at recent data on global warming, scientists have made projections of climate models with the goal of predicting what direction it will be in terms of heat waves that will occur during the rest of this century and They warned that the intensity of these phenomena will increase along with the increase in global temperatures.

“Although higher local temperatures do not necessarily cause the largest impacts, they are often correlated. The document stated that better understanding of climate extremes and where they occurred could help prioritize measures to help address this in the most vulnerable regions.

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