This article is translated from the phys.org article "Deadly summer of extreme weather".
Climate scientists have long warned that the severe consequences of global warming are becoming a reality. In the 21st century, many natural disasters have worsened or are likely caused by global warming.
But with a series of deadly extreme weather events this summer, climate predictions will become an undeniable reality in 2021.
From the scorching heat in Canada to the flooding of subways in central China, the upcoming IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) meeting will be overshadowed by climate disasters.
Heat Dome in Canada#
At the end of June, western Canada experienced a phenomenon called a heat dome, where hot air is trapped by a high-pressure front, resulting in scorching temperatures. When the hot air is pushed back, it further increases the temperature.
Canada's heat records were repeatedly broken, with the final record being 49.6°C (121°F) recorded in the village of Lytton on June 30th.
Washington state and Oregon in the United States were also affected.
The exact number of casualties is still unknown, but at least hundreds of people have died.
A study by a group of leading climate scientists found that this weather condition would be "virtually impossible" without human-induced climate change.
The World Weather Attribution organization stated that the probability of the June heatwave occurring has increased 150 times due to greenhouse gas emissions causing global warming.
Deadly Floods in Europe#
In mid-July, heavy rainstorms hit western Europe and caused devastating floods. Many villages were destroyed, and at least 209 people died in Germany and Belgium, with dozens more missing.
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland also suffered from flooding.
In some areas, the rainfall in two days exceeded the rainfall of the previous two months, causing severe waterlogging on already saturated soil.
Severe Flooding in China#
This month, China has also been hit by floods. As of Thursday, the shocking historic floods have claimed at least 33 lives in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou.
An unprecedented heavy rainstorm dropped a year's worth of rainfall in just three days in the city. The sudden excessive rainfall caused mud and water torrents to flow through streets, flood into highway tunnels, and the subway system.
Wildfires Raging in California#
Under the terrifying impact of drought, the wildfire season in the western United States has just begun, but thousands of firefighters are already battling over 80 major fires.
As of early this week, these wildfires have burned over 4,700 square kilometers of vegetation.
The most fierce fire is the "Bootleg Fire" in Oregon, which has burned an area equivalent to the size of the entire city of Los Angeles in just two weeks. Marcus Kauffman, an expert from the Oregon Department of Forestry, said this fire will "self-perpetuate" and may even trigger its own lightning.
In neighboring California, multiple villages have been evacuated as the Dixie Fire continues to advance (suspected to have been caused by a tree falling on power lines).