The number of days when temperatures reach 50 degrees Celsius each year has more than doubled since the 1980s, according to a BBC analysis.
This is happening in more parts of the world than ever before – with unprecedented effects on people’s health and livelihoods.
According to the analysis, the number of days when the temperature rises to 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) has increased every decade since the 1980s. On average, from 1980 to 2009, the temperature exceeded 50 degrees Celsius for 14 days in a year.
From 2010 to 2019, this number was 28 days per year.
During the same period, the number of days when the temperature rose to 45 degrees or more increased by an average of at least two weeks per year.
Dr. Frederick Otto, associate director of the Institute for Environmental Change at the University of Oxford, commented, “The increase in the use of fossil fuels can be attributed 100% to the reason for this trend of (temperature) increase.”
As the world warms, temperatures are likely to rise sharply.
High temperatures are harmful to both humans and the environment. High temperatures can also damage buildings, roads, and power systems.
Temperatures typically reach 50 degrees Celsius in the Middle East and the Gulf.
Following record temperatures this summer in Italy (47.6 degrees Celsius) and Canada (49.6 degrees Celsius), scientists have warned that temperatures could reach as high as 50 degrees Celsius in other parts of the world if fossil fuel consumption is not reduced.
“We need to act quickly. The sooner we can reduce (harmful gas) emissions, the better for us,” said Dr. Sihan Lee, a climate researcher in the Department of Geography and Environment at Oxford University.
Dr. Lee warns that “if emissions continue and steps are not taken to reduce them, not only will these high temperatures continue to rise, but emergency measures and recovery efforts will become increasingly challenging.”
The BBC’s analysis shows that the maximum temperature in recent decades has risen by 0.5 degrees Celsius more than in 1980 to 2009.
However, this increase in temperature will not be felt in the same way from all parts of the world.
In Eastern Europe, southern Africa, and Brazil, the maximum temperature rose by more than 1 degree Celsius, and in some parts of the North Pole and the Middle East by more than 2 degrees Celsius.
At a UN conference in Glasgow in November, scientists will call on world leaders to think anew about reducing harmful emissions.
Effects of extreme temperature: –
Based on this analysis by the BBC, a documentary series has been launched, called ‘Life at 50 degrees Celsius’ or life at a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius. This series seeks to verify how extremely high temperatures are affecting people’s lives in different parts of the world.
Not only temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius, but temperatures and humidity below it can also pose serious health risks.
If global warming continues at its current rate, 1.2 billion people could be physically affected by global warming by 2100 – at least four times the current rate, according to a study from Rutgers University in the United States, published last year.
Extreme temperatures are increasing the likelihood of droughts and wildfires, changing the human environment and making life difficult.
Climate change is one of the main causes of desertification, although there are other factors behind such incidents.
Research Method: –
One may ask why it was not reported in the news even though the temperature in his area was above 50 degrees Celsius.
Record temperature reports are usually obtained from data obtained from a weather station. However, the data we have analyzed covers a relatively large area.
For example, Death Valley National Park in Southern California is one of the warmest places in the world. In the summer, the temperature in certain parts of the park regularly rises above 50 degrees Celsius.
But once the common most temperature of a large space around the park is measured, the common temperature is below fifty degrees astronomer.
What is the source of the information?
To do this study, data on daily maximum temperatures were taken from the Global ERA 5 dataset, created by the Copernicus Climate Change Service in Europe. This information is occasionally used to track trends in global climate change.
ERA 5 collects weather data from various sources such as meteorological stations and satellites as well as modern weather forecasting models.
What have we analyzed?
With data from the highest daily temperatures from 1980 to 2020, we have identified how often the temperature is felt to be above 50 degrees Celsius.
We calculate how many days in a year and in how many places the temperature is felt to be 50 degrees or more so that we can check the trend of temperature rise over time.
We also observe maximum temperature changes. We make this observation by verifying the average maximum temperature change in the previous 30 years (1970-2009) with the change in the average maximum surface temperature of the land and sea in the recent decade (2010-2019).
What do we mean by ‘region’?
Each region is assumed to be 25 sq km or 26-28 sq km at the equator. These grids can be spread over a wide area and can be spread over different types of geographical areas.
These grids are assumed to be square areas of .25 latitude and .25 longitude.
The study was developed with the help of Dr. Sihan Lee of the Department of Geography and Environment at the University of Oxford and Dr. Zick Housefader of the Berkeley Earth and Carbon Brief.
It was reviewed by Dr. Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Center for Medium-Range Weather. Freya Wemberg, Dr. Julian Nicholas and Dr. Samantha Burgess.