In 2018, several heat waves with temperatures far above the long-time average and droughts were recorded in the Northern Hemisphere:[1] The earth's average surface temperature in 2018 was the fourth highest in the 140 years of record keeping.[2] It is assumed that the jet stream is slowing down, trapping cloudless, windless and extremely hot regions of high pressure. The jet stream anomalies could be caused by polar amplification, one of the observed effects of global warming.[3][4]
According to the World Meteorological Organization, the severe heat waves across the Northern Hemisphere in the summer of 2018, are linked to climate change, as well as events of extreme precipitation. The results were an increase in mortality of the elderly, severe declines in crop yields, as well as the biggest algae bloom in the Baltic Sea in decades. This had the effect of poisoning water both for human and animal use. Additionally, nuclear power plants in Europe were having issues, because the water in the rivers used for cooling the reactors was too warm. This had the effect of electricity grids crashing in areas on four continents. The impacts were severe, even in some countries that are considered well prepared to deal with the impacts of climate change.[5][6]
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- ^ "Media reaction: The 2018 summer heatwaves and climate change". Carbon Brief. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
- ^ John Schwartz and Nadia Popovich, 'New York Times,' "2018 Continues Warming Trend, As 4th Hottest Year Since 1880," February 7, 2019 p. 1
- ^ Coghlan, Andy (24 July 2018). "Warming Arctic could be behind heatwave sweeping northern hemisphere". New Scientist. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
This heatwave across much of the northern hemisphere could continue for weeks, and possibly even months. Accelerated warming in the Arctic compared to the rest of the planet could be a key contributor. The heatwaves have killed dozens in Japan and Korea, have triggered wildfires in California and Sweden, and have led to prolonged dry weather in the UK and across northern Europe, raising temperatures beyond 30°C in Scandinavian sectors of the Arctic Circle. In Greece, the deadliest wildfires in more than a decade have claimed at least 74 lives. "It could persist for weeks, potentially for months," a spokesperson for the UK Meteorological Office told New Scientist.
- ^ "Crazy weather traced to Arctic's impact on jet stream". New Scientist. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
The rapid retreat of Arctic sea ice caused by climate change may be to blame for more frequent prolonged spells of extreme weather in Europe, Asia and North America, such as heat waves, freezing temperatures or storms. ... They are related to "stuck" weather patterns, Jennifer Francis of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, told a conference on Arctic sea ice reduction in London on 23 September. "Is it global warming? I think it's safe to answer yes," she told the meeting.
- ^ "July sees extreme weather with high impacts". World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ Somini Sengupta, Somini (14 August 2018). "2018 will be fourth-hottest year on record, climate scientists predict". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2018.