Global Impact of Climate Change

Global Impact of Climate Change

Eliza Chan Man-yee

There were heatwaves all over Europe in July this year. The United Kingdom recorded a record high temperature of 40.3 ℃ , while the temperatures in Spain and Portugal exceeded 45 ℃ and 47 ℃, respectively.

Research has shown that without human-caused climate change, temperatures above 40 ℃ in the United Kingdom would have been extremely unlikely.

Professor Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), pointed out that heatwaves would happen more frequently because of climate change. In the future, heatwaves akin to this year’s will become normal. We will see stronger extremes.

Extreme high temperature will affect human health, put increased pressure on medical systems, and probably also cause wildfires.

The main cause of climate change is the vast amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere as a result of human activities. We must rapidly and substantially reduce human-caused greenhouse gas emissions in order to mitigate climate change and relieve the consequences of extreme weather, such as extreme high temperatures.

Source: Meteorological Office