9781422274507

Extreme Heat Waves

A s predicted by scientists, with rising atmospheric temperatures, heat waves have become more severe. This prediction is beginning to come true, with increasing numbers of heat waves, one more devastating than the last.

Areas with extremely high temperature

2010, Russia From April to August 2010, Russia witnessed one of the most extreme heat waves in its one thousand years of history. Those heat waves caused extreme wildfires and droughts, killing more than fifteen thousand people. Moscow recorded above average temperatures for sixty-two days in a row, the highest being 100.04°F (37.8°C), which was far above its average temperature. 2003, Europe Europe’s deadliest heat wave in fifty years occurred in 2003. Temperatures rose up to 104°F (40°C) in July in the central and southern nations, from Germany to Turkey. The highest re- corded temperature in the United Kingdom was 100.58°F (38.1°C). More than 35,000 people across the continent lost their lives. About 7,000 of these people died in Germany, 14,000 in France, almost 2,000 in the United Kingdom, and about 4,200 in Italy and Spain.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Problems and Progress

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