Eight years ago, some meteorological experts in France issued a grim warning about the future. They predicted that temperatures in 2050 would reach new highs in many parts of the world, with Europe potentially hitting 43oC due to climate change.
Typically, such forecasts are often viewed as… alarming, intended to spur action against the climate crisis.
However, scientists are now taken aback as this prediction has become a reality, arriving nearly 30 years earlier than expected.
Specifically, in 2014, weather forecaster Évelyne Dhéliat stated that by August 2050, many regions in France would experience temperatures soaring to 43oC.
The warning issued in 2014 regarding 2050 has now become a reality. (Photo: YouTube).
Alarmingly, this forecast may have already been fulfilled in June 2022, as France is currently experiencing an intense heatwave, recording temperatures of 40oC earlier than ever before (as June is usually quite mild in France compared to other summer months). Last weekend, cities in France such as Nantes and Tours reached 43oC. In Paris, Saturday was potentially the hottest June day recorded so far, with temperatures reaching 38 – 39oC, breaking the previous June record set in 1947, according to the Independent.
Temperatures in France, the UK, and Spain are all soaring. (Photo: Phys.org).
Across Europe, the heat is also intense. Some cities in Spain have reached temperatures of 43oC, while Madrid and Barcelona recorded temperatures of 40oC. In the UK, temperatures recently peaked at 32oC in London. While 32oC might still feel mild to us, in the UK, June 17 with that temperature is considered the hottest day of the year so far. A level 3 heat warning has been issued for southeastern regions of England. A spokesperson for the UK Met Office told the Guardian that “it is unusual to see such high temperatures this early in the year.”
It seems that the impacts of climate change are occurring much faster than we previously thought.
