Key facts
- Extreme heat events are increasing in frequency, intensity, and duration globally.
- Europe is currently experiencing its fifth heatwave of the summer.
- Persistent high-pressure systems in the Northern Hemisphere are trapping heat.
- Warm sea surface temperatures and dry soils are amplifying heat in Europe.
- The current global temperature pattern is a reversal from 1976, with widespread above-average temperatures.
Periods of extreme heat are becoming more frequent, intense, and longer-lasting as climate change warms the planet, the U.N. weather agency stated. John Kennedy, the World Meteorological Organization's head of climate information, noted that the current pattern of heat across Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, reflects the interaction between persistent high-pressure systems and a warmer climate.
These high-pressure systems trap warm air, reduce cloud cover, and block cooler air, allowing heat to build over large regions for days or weeks. Kennedy clarified that El Niño is not contributing to Europe's heat this year as conditions in the tropical Pacific are neutral.
Comparing the current situation to June 1976, Kennedy highlighted that while similar pressure systems were present, the global context was vastly different. In 1976, it was a cooler world with isolated areas of above-average temperatures, whereas today, much of the globe experiences above-average temperatures.