Just days into July, the UK and Europe have experienced two record-breaking summer heatwaves, providing a snapshot of their new climate. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
Following May's heat, June saw temperature records not only broken but smashed in what the UN's weather agency called an "extraordinary" event across the continent. After a brief respite, another heatwave is on the way.
"Human-induced climate change has made events like this more likely and more intense," said Prof Stephen Belcher, chief scientist at the UK Met Office.
The intensity of these heatwaves is evident from how far temperatures were above normal in May and June averaged across the UK. While the June heat was strongest in southern England and south Wales, few areas escaped the warmth.
Temperatures peaked at 37.7C in Lingwood, Norfolk, according to provisional figures, surpassing the UK's previous June high of 35.6C set in 1957. "To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering," said Belcher.
Some of the longest-running stations saw their previous records broken by 2C or more. "We normally expect the records broken by small amounts – tenths, maybe up to a degree or so. So to have it shattered by such a large amount is noticeable and extraordinary," said Ed Hawkins, professor of climate science at the University of Reading.
June's heatwave felt particularly oppressive due to high humidity, making it harder for bodies to cool down by sweating. It also stayed very warm after sunset, making sleep difficult. In Cardiff, temperatures did not drop below 23.5C on the night of Wednesday 24 June into Thursday – the warmest June night ever recorded around the UK.
Most of England and Wales experienced at least one tropical night in June, where temperatures do not fall below 20C. "We would definitely expect to see more and more tropical nights, as global temperatures keep rising," said Hawkins.
The same "heat dome" that brought extraordinary heat to the UK in June also saw records tumble across Europe. The German weather service named it "a heatwave for the history books". The French weather agency described it as "exceptional" and "historic".
More than a dozen countries across western, central and eastern Europe broke their June temperature record – with gaps of up to two or three degrees between old and new highs. Some countries faced temperatures above 40C and set a new record for any time of year, even though June is typically cooler than July.
France and Spain also recorded their hottest June days in terms of a national average. Switzerland reached 39C, surpassing the previous June record by more than 2C. "I would say as a climate scientist, I was not that surprised to see this happen... when you know that we have a warming climate," said Sonia Seneviratne, professor at ETH Zurich.
Global temperatures have been rising due to greenhouse gas emissions, but local geography shapes the speed of warming. Europe is warming particularly quickly, making it more exposed to frequent and stronger extreme heat. Europe's rapid warming is partly due to melting of bright snow and ice and a drop in polluting particles, meaning less solar energy is reflected back into space. Some scientists argue that warming may be changing atmospheric circulation patterns around Europe, bringing more high-pressure systems that can lead to heatwaves, although this is not certain.