\”We will have to deal with extremism\”

Southern Europe is currently experiencing a massive heat wave. Temperatures reach nearly 40 degrees Celsius in southern Spain. The global warming cannot be denied. am working Talk about the consequences of these temperatures with climatologist Samuel Hilson.

Listen to the full interview with Samuel Helsen here:

In the news: At the moment, there is a strong high pressure area over southern Europe. There is a strong southerly air current that originates in Africa, causing extreme temperatures over that region. The temperature in Seville was recorded at 38.7 degrees Celsius. In Murcia, temperatures are 15 degrees Celsius higher than the average April temperatures.

• Hielsen: “In the past, the Mediterranean was the ideal holiday resort, because it was much warmer in the summer compared to our temperate climate. But now we see as a result of global warming that the average is getting warmer and the extremes are increasing. We are exposed to extreme temperatures. A lot of times, not just there, but with us, too. Our summers are also getting warmer on average, so there’s been a shift from south to north.”
• “We have to be aware of the fact that we will have to deal with these extremes, both in terms of temperature and precipitation. It may be good that the average air temperature rises, but these extreme temperatures are unbearable and this has a lot of consequences. Both in terms of health for the sake of nature and in terms of economy and transformation in tourism.
• For every degree Celsius heated, the air can hold more water vapor. That’s about 7 percent per degree Celsius. Globally, we are already above 1 degree Celsius,” the climate scientist explains. “This means that if it rains properly, the precipitation can become more intense because the extra amount of water vapor can also fall from the sky.”