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The World Is Too Hot. El Niño Is Partly to Blame
Record-breaking heat is affecting parts of Europe, the western United States and Asia, with dangerous temperatures, wildfires and unusually hot nights intensifying the risks. The article says the conditions result from a combination of natural weather patterns, including El Niño and heat domes, and human-driven climate change, which has warmed the atmosphere and oceans.
Western Europe recorded its hottest June, while France faced severe heat and fires; Phoenix was forecast to reach 46°C and remain close to 38°C overnight. Scientists attribute persistent heat partly to a wavier jet stream and exceptionally warm seas, which supply additional heat; one analysis found June’s European heatwave, linked to over 1,000 deaths, would have been impossible without fossil-fuel-driven warming.
In short
- Extreme heat is affecting Europe, the US and Asia.
- El Niño and heat domes are amplifying conditions.
- Climate change is warming oceans and worsening heatwaves.
Explained simply
Extreme heat across multiple regions can pose serious health threats, wildfires and other dangers. To understand how records are being set, it is important to know about both natural weather patterns and long-term changes to Earth's climate.
El Niño is a natural phenomenon in which parts of the Pacific Ocean become warmer than usual. When this occurs, the warmer water releases extra heat into the atmosphere and alters weather patterns worldwide. These natural cycles have always influenced global temperatures.
Since the mid-twentieth century, burning fossil fuels has gradually warmed the atmosphere and oceans. Scientists have found that some recent extreme heat events would have been unlikely without this human-caused warming. The combination of natural weather patterns and human-driven climate change is creating heat conditions that pose significant risks to public health and safety.
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