So burning fossil fuels plays a role in making heatwaves worse which then leads to this:
“To meet the demand, utilities in New England burned more [methane] gas. [Methane] gas burned in the power sector reached nearly 2.0 billion cubic feet (Bcf) on both June 19 and 20, compared to about 1.20 Bcf per day consumed on the Wednesday and Thursday of the previous week.”
This we can say with considerable certainty: We are completely unprepared to deal with a world at +1.5°C (imminent) given that this is the experience at +1.3°C
Don't forget to leave out fresh, clean potable water for your #bird and #pollinator friends during #heatwaves. They get thirsty too! I use smooth stones and marbles in my #BeeWatering station, to keep them from drowning.
I don’t think any of us really understand how quickly collapse can happen:
> About 85% of the country expected to see highs of at least 40°C
> Almost 40% of the country’s dams below 20%
> 40% are between 20 and 50%.
> Mexico City (Population 22.51 million) forced to reduce water supply as reservoirs that feed city dry up.
> Stores running out of mineral water.
"Waters across the Atlantic’s tropical belt — extending from the coast of Africa through the Caribbean — are hotter now than in any other late May on record, with over 90% of the area’s sea surface engulfed in record or near-record warmth. The extent of marine heat has never been greater heading into a hurricane season, outpacing by wide margins the previous late May record-holder in 2005, a year remembered for one of the most active and destructive hurricane seasons in modern history." #climate#disasters#hurricanes
"Searing #heatwaves could be a common theme this summer in parts of the United States and might make it one of the hottest on record, according to an updated outlook released Thursday by The Weather Company and Atmospheric G2.
The West Coast, from California to southwest Washington, might be the exception. "
Deadly heat in #Mexico and #US made 35 times more likely by global heating
"According to the study, without meaningful political action to stop fossil fuels, deadly heatwaves will be “very common in a 2C world”, Otto said.
#ExtremeHeat increases the rates of cardiovascular, respiratory and renal diseases, as well as threatening to overwhelm power supplies, healthcare facilities and other infrastructure."
"The U.S. is experiencing a number of extreme and varied weather events at once, from the prolonged #heatwave scorching the Northeast to the deadly wildfires blazing in New Mexico to the tropical storm drenching Texas’ Gulf Coast.
On Wednesday, Caribou, Maine — just south of the Canadian border — hit a record 103 degrees, nearly 10 degrees warmer than Miami."
Major bad #ClimateCrisis news just published in today's #Guardian - "Exclusive: Planet is headed for at least 2.5C of heating with disastrous results for #humanity poll of hundreds of scientists finds - World’s top #climate scientists expect #GlobalHeating to blast past 1.5C target.
Hundreds of the world’s leading climate scientists expect global temperatures to rise to at least 2.5C (4.5F) this century, blasting past internationally agreed targets and causing catastrophic consequences for humanity and the #planet, an exclusive Guardian survey has revealed.
Almost 80% of the respondents, all from the authoritative Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( #IPCC), foresee at least 2.5C of global heating above preindustrial levels, while almost half anticipate at least 3C (5.4F). Only 6% thought the internationally agreed 1.5C (2.7F) limit will be met."
Numerous experts said they had been left feeling hopeless, infuriated and scared by the failure of governments to act despite the clear scientific evidence provided.
“I think we are headed for major societal disruption within the next five years,” said Gretta Pecl, at the University of Tasmania. “[Authorities] will be overwhelmed by extreme event after extreme event, food production will be disrupted. I could not feel greater despair over the future.”
"Younger scientists were more pessimistic, with 52% of respondents under 50 expecting a rise of at least 3C, compared with 38% of those over 50. Female scientists were also more downbeat than male scientists, with 49% thinking global temperature would rise at least 3C, compared with 38%. There was little difference between scientists from different continents."
"A study released this year found that extreme temperature shocks – like #heatwaves and cold snaps – are leading to surges in demand for #PaydayLoans in the #US.
The paper suggests extreme heat and cold may increase demand for payday loans in several ways: increased energy costs as people turn on heating or cooling devices, lost income or people who are unable to work in #ExtremeHeat, and health problems leading to medical costs for underinsured or uninsured people."
@CelloMomOnCars that last point is a real kick in the teeth, and something that most Europeans would probably never think of as a consequence of extreme weather.
Okay so this piece contains a map of fatalities from: drought, wildfire, storm, landslide and flood.
What happened to "heat"?
Last year #heatwaves killed nearly 62,000 in #Europe.
Erasing heat deaths in #Africa is - shall we be charitable - irresponsible at best.
The method to count #HeatDeaths needs to be improved everywhere.
"Currently, about the only consistency in counting #HeatDeaths in the U.S. is that officials and climate specialists acknowledge fatalities are grossly undercounted."
These global maps of heat deaths, heat death ratio, and heat death rates brings home how many of the deaths due to #ExtremeHeat go unreported in English-language media.
"#Asia remained the world’s most disaster-hit region from weather, climate and water-related hazards in 2023. #Floods and #storms caused the highest number of reported casualties and economic losses, whilst the impact of #heatwaves became more severe, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)."