“No real weather forecast,” according to the Met Office graphic. “Examples of plausible weather based on climate projections.”
Well, on Monday and Tuesday it becomes “plausible” reality — 28 years too early.
Simon Lee, an atmospheric scientist at Columbia University in New York, noted the striking similarity between the 2050 outlook and the forecast for early next week in the UK.
In 30 years, this prediction will seem rather typical.
To be clear, this really would be record-breaking heat. The highest temperature ever recorded in the country was 38.7 degrees Celsius at the Cambridge Botanic Garden in 2019.
The chance of more than 40 degrees is “rising rapidly,” Christidis said.
This is about more than a few uncomfortable days. Extreme heat is one of the most deadly weather events – we just don’t see it happening when heat stroke and death are attributed to underlying conditions like heart disease or respiratory disease.
Unlike floods or wildfires that devastate a city, the sense of urgency surrounding a deadly heatwave isn’t as dramatic, said Kristie Ebi, a climate and health researcher at the University of Washington, underlining that heat is a “silent killer.”
“When it’s hot outside, it’s just warm outside — and so it’s a relatively silent killer,” Ebi previously told DailyExpertNews. “People are generally unaware and don’t think about the risks associated with these high temperatures.”
She also said it is important to understand that the climate is not what it was a few years ago. The climate crisis is already affecting our lives and will continue to affect the most vulnerable.
“We are all looking forward to summer as we enjoy the warmer temperatures, but there are those who are at risk in higher temperatures,” she said. “As the climate continues to change or higher temperatures become higher than what we experienced when we were younger, people need to pay more attention to the people around you.”
Rachel Ramirez of DailyExpertNews contributed to this analysis.