Europe facing its hottest day ever as heatwave hits with 48°C heat on its way

A weather map illustrates the magnitude of the intense heatwave gripping south west Europe. 

It shows a sea of red spreading from Africa and across Spain and Portugal. Forecasters predict temperatures of up to 48C later this week, which would be the hottest temperature ever recorded in mainland Europe. 

It could be the hottest ever temperature in 

mainland Europe (Picture: Met Office).

Spanish authorities are making preparations for emergencies during the heatwave expected to continue through Sunday. 27 of the country’s 50 provinces are at ‘extreme risk’ from heat beginning Thursday, the national weather agency said.

Read the Metro story by Jen Mills - “Europe facing its hottest day ever as heatwave hits with 48°C heat on its way.”

Seems the sun has melted southern California

Well, apologies to Albert Hammond (Google it young people) but I’ve been searching for words to describe the heat event in Southern California yesterday. Fritz Coleman, KNBC’s meteorologist called it astonishing, and I used astounding. Trust me, words fail to describe the magnitude fo this heat event.

Van Nuys set an all-time record high of 117ºF which broke their daily record by 18 degrees!! So did Burbank and UCLA (NWA Graphic below is in error they hit 108º).

The image below is ground temperatures from infrared sensors from a NASA polar-orbiting satellite that passed over just after midday Friday.

Read the blog by Dan Satterfield - “Seems the sun has melted southern California.”

Irreversible climate change due to carbon dioxide emissions

The severity of damaging human-induced climate change depends not only on the magnitude of the change but also on the potential for irreversibility. 

Susan Solomon.

This paper shows that the climate change that takes place due to increases in carbon dioxide concentration is largely irreversible for 1,000 years after emissions stop. Following cessation of emissions, removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide decreases radiative forcing, but is largely compensated by slower loss of heat to the ocean, so that atmospheric temperatures do not drop significantly for at least 1,000 years.

Read the 2009 paper by Susan Solomon - “Irreversible climate change due to carbon dioxide emissions.”