This post is just a short one to describe the several events linked to climate change that have happened between July and August 2021. And it would probably outline the dramatic effects of Climate Change and why it is ever more important to fight it.
In fact, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) delivered its starkest warning about Climate Change in its most recent report. The authors are fairly certain that flooding will be more frequent and intense in most of Asia and Africa if the world warms by 1.5°C, and pretty sure the same changes will be seen in North America and Europe. However, it did offer a glimmer of hope that it can be prevented, \ if the world starts acting upon Climate Change now.
Flooding
On July 13th, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium faced its worst ever floods in decades. Huge heat waves lead to more water vapor in the atmosphere which eventually lead to massive rains. Some areas had 90mm of precipitation (rain) and 70mm more the next day. This eventually lead sewer systems to overflow. Thus, the areas that could not cope with the rain started flooding. The event caused close to 200 deaths in Germany and Belgium while the Netherlands was spared from massive destruction.
Within a week (21st July), halfway across the world, China faced a massive flood as well. The Henan province had days of rain causing several dams and reservoirs to overflow. In the provincial capital Zhengzhou, the equivalent of a year’s average rainfall has fallen in just three days. The water even started to flow into subway tunnels which left passengers struggling for air in the trains underground. The disaster caused more than 300 deaths. As of this writing, parts of China have been issued alerts and have been evacuated as rainfall kept on pouring down due to extreme weathers.
Wildfires
As we all know even prior to 2021, extended heatwaves have lead to huge forest fires in places such as California, USA and Australia.
Wildfires have struck California again. Extreme heatwaves and droughts caused Northern California’s forests to burn in August. The fire has so far destroyed 900 homes and puts another 14,000 people at risk. Firefighters are facing difficulties putting it out with the ongoing heatwaves.
Its not just California.
Turkey and Greece are also battling wildfires (feature pic) the same time as California. These fires are the largest Turkey and Greece have ever had. At least eight people have died in the fires along Turkey’s southern and western coasts at the end of July, following record temperatures and a severe drought. Thousands more have been evacuated, including tourists from seaside resorts, some boarding boats to escape. Turkey eventually accepted offers of help from Russia, Azerbaijan and the European Union (EU). Volunteers and firefighters poured in from across the country, as did police trucks mounted with water cannons, typically used against protesters.
Hot Hot HOT
The highest temperature ever recorded in Europe was provisionally reported on 11 August. The town of Syracuse on the Italian island of Sicily reached 48.8°C, 0.8°C higher than the previous European record.
High temperatures are also being recorded elsewhere. In Tunisia, the capital Tunis hit 49°C on 11 August according to Reuters, more than 2 degrees higher than the previous record of 46.8°C in 1982.
Coincidence ?
With all this going on (and these events are the ones I know of, there could be more), it can’t be a coincidence that it is happening now all at the same time.
Climate Change has a part in these disasters. I won’t say Climate Change 100% caused these disasters because the governments could have done more to curb these effects. And this is going to cost more and more governments moving on, building and rebuilding infrastructure to cope with the effects of Climate Change.
To all the Climate Change skeptics, I’m honestly curious about your thoughts on what caused these major disasters in the past month.
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