Record-Breaking Temperatures and a Continuing Global Crisis
Caitlin Kiddie
The Met Office has confirmed 2022 as the UK’s warmest year on record with December being the only month of below-average temperatures. The first two weeks of December were reportedly the coldest start to winter since 2010, with Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England experiencing a 1.4C drop.
The frequency of cold periods has decreased and extreme weather events are becoming more common due to climate change, every season last year hit record temperatures, showing the impact climate change is having.
Northern Ireland’s hottest day of the year reached 31C, almost hitting the country’s record of 31.3C, which was set the previous year. Meanwhile red and amber weather warnings appeared across Britain.
During the summer, the UK experienced a “false autumn” with trees turning brown and infrastructure melting. England saw the first red weather warning due to a heatwave, and over 2,800 people over 65 died during the summer heatwaves and the NHS was under pressure due to an increase in heatstroke cases.
Other countries in Europe faced extreme heatwaves. Temperatures in Portugal hit 47C in July and 64 areas of France reached record high temperatures. During summer, two thirds of Europe were under drought warnings, due to the worst drought in 500 years. This caused nearly all rivers in Europe to dry up, affecting the already struggling energy sector and unearthing remains of World War II Nazi ships. This also contributed to wildfires in France, Portugal, Spain and Greece which resulted in thousands evacuating.
Adding to the list of climate disasters in 2022 was the summer flooding in Pakistan that left one third of the country underwater, displacing 8 million citizens. While famine caused by drought affected tens of millions in East Africa. The intensity of hurricanes also increased across areas such as Florida and Puerto Rico, with communities still recovering from the damage.
Growing greenhouse gas emissions are culminating in changes to temperatures and extreme weather patterns, and the impacts are being felt by people all over the world. Dr Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science at Imperial College London states “heatwaves that used to be rare are now common; heatwaves that used to be impossible are now happening”. The effect of climate change has never been clearer.
Caitlin Kiddie is a Science and Environment Reporter with The Scoop and is a second-year Anthropology and Spanish student.