SARA DRINKARD --- According to the EU’s climate change service, Europe is facing one of its warmest winters to date. The average January temperature was reportedly 2.2 degrees Celsius higher than the average from 1990 to 2020. On New Year’s Day, eight countries in the continent had their hottest January day, marking the “most extreme heat wave in European history,” according to climatologist Maximiliano Herrera. These skyrocketing temperatures can be understood as direct effects of climate change and could be a warning for potential future events. According to the World Meteorological Organization, Europe is warming faster than any other region. The report also pointedly noted that many countries in the region are exceeding their limits on fossil fuel emissions. In the second half of 2022, Europe faced devastating wildfires, blistering heat waves, and destructive droughts.
The European region isn’t the only one facing changes. Globally, January temperatures are 0.25 degrees warmer than the 1990-2020 average, with various dispersed regions experiencing above average temperatures for the month. As winters are becoming warmer overall, some scientists point to the warming of the Arctic being a source for this, resulting in rising sea levels, provoking extreme temperatures beyond the Arctic. Record levels of sea ice melt in Antarctica are being seen, driving the sea ice extent (the measure of ocean surface area covered by sea ice) 31% below the average. . As seen in Europe’s hottest January yet, the effects of the shifting Arctic climate are felt worldwide. Comments are closed.
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