Latest news with #Nullis
Scoop
4 days ago
- Climate
- Scoop
Northern Hemisphere Heatwave Underscores Value Of Early-Warning Alerts
1 July 2025 Three days after Spain's national weather service confirmed a record 46°C reading in the southern town of El Granado, there's been little let-up in stifling day and night temperatures across the continent and beyond. In Barcelona, a road sweeper reportedly died on Saturday after completing her shift, prompting an investigation and widespread public appeals to keep out of the sun wherever possible. 'Everybody is at risk,' insisted Clare Nullis, spokesperson for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO): 'If you go out without water in the middle of the day, to do jogging, have a bike ride, you will probably have health problems or even die.' Fossil fuel factor If part of the reason for Europe's heat misery is because it is in the grip of a strong high-pressure weather front trapping hot air from northern Africa, Ms. Nullis noted that 'human-induced climate change' is the source of these acute weather events. Another part of the climate puzzle is that sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean are exceptionally high for this time of year. 'It's the equivalent of a land heatwave', the WMO spokesperson said. 'Extreme heat creeps up on you,' she added, while dangerously warm conditions are becoming 'more frequent, more intense' because of global warming caused by burning fossil fuels. ' It's something we have to learn to live with,' Ms. Nullis maintained, highlighting the importance of early warnings from national meteorological and hydrological services to prevent more deaths from extreme heat events – which are often 'under-reflected' in official statistics. Hot days – and nights According to the UN agency, night-time minimum temperatures and daytime maximum temperatures broke monthly station records for June in parts of Western and Southwestern Europe, partly explaining why the heatwave is so draining. ' The frequency and intensity of extreme heat events is increasing in Europe and by 2050 about half the European population may be exposed to high or very high risk of heat stress during summer,' Ms. Nullis explained. 'What is exceptional - and I would stress exceptional but not unprecedented - is the time of year. We are 1 July, and we are seeing episodes of extreme heat which normally we would see later on.' WMO insisted that warnings from national weather services and coordinated heat-health action plans are increasingly important to protect public safety and wellbeing. The UN agency is promoting these efforts through its Early Warnings for All platform. A key component is the WMO Coordination Mechanism (WCM) which supports crisis-prone and conflict-affected regions with advice. WMO curates authoritative weather, climate and water information from countries such as its WCM Global Hydromet Weekly Scan.
The Journal
4 days ago
- Climate
- The Journal
UN expert says Europe can expect 'even worse' heatwaves ahead as climate change escalates
THE WORLD WILL have to learn to live with heatwaves, the United Nations' weather and climate agency has said, as much of Europe roasts in high temperatures. The World Meteorological Organization said that in future, people could expect heatwaves to occur more often and be more intense because of human-induced climate change. WMO spokeswoman Clare Nullis said July was traditionally the hottest month of the year in the northern hemisphere, but it was exceptional, though not entirely unprecedented, to have episodes of extreme heat this early in the summer. The WMO said early warnings and coordinated action plans were crucial to protect public safety, and meteorologists were getting better at both. 'As a result of human-induced climate change, extreme heat is becoming more frequent, more intense. It's something we have to learn to live with,' Nullis said. Advertisement She added: 'What can we expect in the future? More of the same, even worse.' She said extreme heat is 'the silent killer', with the death toll often under-reflected in official statistics. 'It's important to stress that every single death from heat is unnecessary: we have the knowledge, we have the tools; we can save lives,' she said. Western Europe is sweltering under the influence of a strong high pressure system, Nullis told a press briefing in Geneva. 'This is trapping hot air from northern Africa over the region, and as we can see it's having a pretty big impact on the way we feel and the way we are acting,' she said. A major factor in the heatwave is the exceptional sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean. 'It's the equivalent of a land heatwave. The Mediterranean Sea is suffering a pretty extreme marine heatwave right now, and that tends to reinforce the extreme temperatures over land areas,' Nullis said. Related Reads 'I couldn't step outside': Irish tourists swelter as 'heat dome' blankets southern Europe She said the urban heat island effect was exaggerating the situation in cities, with a lack of greenery to absorb the heat and concrete surfaces reflecting it. Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said its national teams had mobilised across Europe to help people cope. 'Volunteers are giving out water and checking on the most vulnerable populations, including people experiencing homelessness, older people, and outdoor workers,' IFRC spokesman Tommaso Della Longa told the briefing. 'Extreme heat doesn't have to be a disaster: knowledge, preparedness and early action make all the difference.' © AFP 2025
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Climate
- Straits Times
World will have to learn to live with heatwaves: UN
The World Meteorological Organization said people could expect heatwaves to occur more often and be more intense because of human-induced climate change. PHOTO: AFP World will have to learn to live with heatwaves: UN GENEVA - The world will have to learn to live with heatwaves, the United Nations' weather and climate agency said on July 1 , as much of Europe roasted in high summer temperatures. The World Meteorological Organisation said that in future, people could expect heatwaves to occur more often and be more intense because of human-induced climate change. WMO spokeswoman Clare Nullis said July was traditionally the hottest month of the year in the northern hemisphere, but it was exceptional, though not unprecedented, to have episodes of extreme heat this early in the summer. She said extreme heat was 'widely called the silent killer', with the death toll often under-reflected in official statistics, compared to, for example, a tropical cyclone. 'It's important to stress that every single death from heat is unnecessary: We have the knowledge, we have the tools; we can save lives,' she added. Western Europe is sweltering under the influence of a strong high pressure system, Ms Nullis told a press briefing in Geneva. 'This is trapping hot air from northern Africa over the region, and as we can see it's having a pretty big impact on the way we feel and the way we are acting,' she said. A major factor in the heatwave is the exceptional sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean. 'It's the equivalent of a land heatwave. The Mediterranean Sea is suffering a pretty extreme marine heatwave right now, and that tends to reinforce the extreme temperatures over land areas,' Ms Nullis said. She said the urban heat island effect was exaggerating the situation in cities, with a lack of greenery to absorb the heat and concrete surfaces reflecting it. The WMO said early warnings and coordinated action plans were crucial to protect public safety, and meteorologists were getting better at both. 'As a result of human-induced climate change, extreme heat is becoming more frequent, more intense. It's something we have to learn to live with,' Ms Nullis said. She added: 'What can we expect in the future? More of the same, even worse.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
