The summer of 2022 is hot. On August 12, France experienced a 31-day heatwave (over 35 degrees), already a record, even if the episodes weren’t as severe as in 2003. heat wave do not guarantee that each year will be the hottest year overall – 2022 is unlikely to be in the top 3 – they present special risks and are bound to happen more and more often.

In India, the temperature in March is the highest in 122 years. According to a report by a scientific consortium World Weather Attributionclimate change has made heat waves hitting Pakistan and India 30 times more likely. “Because of global warminghammer researchers, This heat wave will become more frequent and hotter. »

Public health risk

Assuming an average temperature increase of 2 degrees, a heat wave like the one that hit southern Asia would be between 2 and 20 times more likely. Also, it will probably be 0.5 to 1.5 degrees warmer. The results of this study may be optimistic, according to the authors.

Heatwaves in India and Pakistan are increasingly problematic as they are regions where many people work outdoors and air conditioning is scarce. Combined with high population densities in the major cities of these countries, heat waves can pose a public health risk.

TOGETHER₂ responsible

In Europe, population aging is a hazard. Mainly because the night remains hot, which prevents the body from recovering. As in India and Pakistan, “without human-caused global warming”the 40 degree temperature recorded in the UK in July was “very impossible”said the World Meteorological Organization, a United Nations agency.

“In the future, heat waves will become the new normalsaid Petteri Taalas, the organisation’s general secretary. We have released so much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that this negative trend will continue for decades. »

Météo France predicts that the summer of 2022 will look like “average medieval summer”except CO . emission₂ dropped drastically at that time. In addition to acting on climate, World Weather Attribution in light of the need for public policies aimed at raising public awareness during heatwaves to reduce mortality.