Three heatwaves since June produced France's second-hottest summer since records began in 1900, the Meteo France weather service said Tuesday, warning that scorching temperatures will be increasingly common.

With 33 days of extreme heat overall, average temperatures for June, July and August were 2.3 degrees Celsius (4.1 Fahrenheit) above normal for the period of 1991-2020.

It was surpassed only by the 2003 heatwave that caught much of France unprepared for prolonged scorching conditions, leading to nearly 15,000 heat-related deaths, mainly among the elderly.

Most experts attribute the rising temperatures to climate change, with Meteo France noting that over the past eight summers in France, six have been among the 10-hottest ever.

By 2050, "we expect that around half of summer seasons will be at comparable temperatures, if not higher," even if greenhouse gas emissions are contained, the agency's research director Samuel Morin said at a press conference.

The heat helped drive a series of wildfires across France this summer, in particular a huge blaze in the southwest that burned for more than a month and blackened 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres).

Adding to the misery was a record drought that required widespread limits on water use, with July the driest month since 1961.

"The summer we've just been through is a powerful call to order," Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Monday, laying out her priorities for an "ecological planning" programme to guide France's efforts against climate change.

Related Links
Weather News at TerraDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

'Dangerous' heat wave hits southwestern US
Los Angeles (AFP) Aug 30, 2022
A "dangerous" heat wave was taking hold of the southwestern United States Tuesday, with punishing temperatures expected for the next week. Forecasters said the mercury could reach as high as 112 Fahrenheit (44 Celsius) in the densely populated Los Angeles suburbs as a heat dome settles in over parts of California, Nevada and Arizona. "Dangerously hot conditions expected through the week," the National Weather Service warned. "A prolonged period of excessive heat will significantly increase t ... read more