In recent days, Western and Northern Europe have been under the influence of a record heatwave. Temperatures in Spain have reached 44 degrees Celsius, and dozens of people have lost their lives in France and Germany due to extreme heat. The highest – red alert level – has been declared in several large cities.
Modern.az reports that "BBC Turkish" has investigated why heatwaves in Europe are becoming increasingly dangerous.
According to the information, the main source of the heatwaves affecting Europe is the Sahara Desert. The hot air mass moving north from there is compressed under a high-pressure system, creating a meteorological phenomenon called the "Omega block" in the atmosphere. As a result, the hot air remains over the region for days, and the temperature continuously rises.
Experts state that in recent years, such high-pressure systems have been observed more frequently and for longer periods. According to the UK Met Office's 2024 report, the number of days with temperatures 5 degrees above the seasonal norm has doubled, and the number of days with temperatures 10 degrees higher has quadrupled.
Scientists emphasize that the main reason for this is the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to human activity and global warming.
The BBC notes that Europe is currently the fastest-warming continent in the world. The temperature increase here is happening approximately twice as fast as the global average.
One of the points highlighted in the article is the structure of cities. Concretization, widespread asphalt paving, dense construction, and automobile traffic create a "heat island effect." For example, when the air temperature is 38 degrees Celsius, the surface of grass is approximately 40 degrees, while the temperature of asphalt can rise to 65 degrees. The heat accumulated during the day does not allow cities to cool down at night either.
Another important problem is the low prevalence of air conditioners. While approximately 90 percent of residential homes in the US have air conditioning, this figure is only an average of 20 percent in Europe. Approximately 5 percent of homes in the UK and only 3 percent in Germany have cooling systems.
The BBC emphasizes that along with high temperatures, humidity in the air also poses a serious threat to human health. As humidity increases, the p's cooling mechanism through sweating weakens, and the risk of heatstroke increases.
According to the research, more than 200,000 people worldwide have died from high temperature-related causes in the last four years. In the last 20 years, heat-related deaths have increased by approximately 30 percent.
Experts advise the public not to stay outdoors for long periods during the hottest hours of the day, to drink plenty of fluids, and to pay particular attention to the condition of elderly people.
