Scientists say human-induced climate change has made extreme heat in the US southwest, Mexico, and Central America about 35 times more likely. The World Weather Attribution (WWA) group studied the heat from May to early June, affecting US states like California, Nevada, and Arizona, and causing deaths in Mexico. Although it’s too early to assess the current heatwave from the central US to Canada, their report indicates that such heatwaves are now four times more likely than in 2000 due to warming emissions.
Experts attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, to climate change. “Our study’s results should serve as a warning that our climate is reaching dangerous levels,” said Izidine Pinto from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute.
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The study highlighted that record-breaking temperatures are more common in the US, Mexico, and Central America. Continued fossil fuel emissions will worsen the heat, increasing deaths and living costs. The WWA focused on the US southwest, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras, noting that June’s hottest five-day period was 1.4C warmer due to climate change.
Karina Izquierdo from the Red Cross Climate Centre stressed that every fraction of a degree in warming increases the danger of heat exposure. She noted that the additional 1.4C in heat caused by climate change could mean life or death for many during such periods.
Mexican officials have linked the heatwave to numerous deaths, including howler monkeys in Tabasco. The scientists emphasized the health risks from high night-time temperatures, as the body lacks time to recover. WWA conducts rapid-attribution studies on global weather events to assess climate change’s role, comparing current events against models without human-induced global warming.
