- Title: World should prepare for more extreme weather - climate scientist
- Date: 15th July 2021
- Summary: BEATTY, OREGON, UNITED STATES (JULY 13, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS SPRAYING WATER ON REMNANTS OF FIRE SIGN SHOWING HIGH RISK OF FOREST FIRES EXETER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 15, 2021) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR SCIENTIST AT THE MET OFFICE, NIKOS CHRISTIDIS, SAYING: "Actually as this event was developing we applied our methods and we carried out a quick study trying to determine whether this month of June was particularly extreme, of course it was extreme, but we tried to determine how human influence had increased the chances of a June that is record-breaking like what we've seen and it's actually interesting to see what we found, or results suggest that this kind of extreme June temperature in the region that was affected would have been almost impossible without the effect of human influence on the climate." HELSINKI, FINLAND (JULY 14-15, 2021) (REUTERS) MAN JUMPING INTO BALTIC SEA SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT SWIMMING AREA IN HARBOUR MAN JUMPING INTO SEA EXETER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 15, 2021) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR SCIENTIST AT THE MET OFFICE, NIKOS CHRISTIDIS, SAYING: "Even if we stop emissions of greenhouse gases now there is some inertia in the climate, the effect will not disappear instantly, this is something that we have to deal with in the coming decades so even in the best case scenario if you like we still need to learn how to adapt to changes that have already been caused by emissions that have already taken place." MADRID, SPAIN (JULY 11, 2021) (REUTERS) THERMOMETER MARKING 47 DEGREES CELSIUS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE COOLING OFF AT FOUNTAIN EXETER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 15, 2021) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR SCIENTIST AT THE MET OFFICE, NIKOS CHRISTIDIS, SAYING: "Well it is definitely something that concerns me and should concern everyone, we see climatic trends that are basically very well established now like increases in temperature, we see this from climatic changes, dramatic changes happening when it comes to heatwaves events and all these kinds of high impact events that expose the vulnerabilities of communities to climate change. So yes I mean it is easy as a scientist to be a bit detached and just see it as data but if you think about the cost behind these events, yes it's definitely something that is a reason to be concerned about." PEPINSTER, BELGIUM (JULY 15, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FLOODWATERS AND FLOODED STREETS
- Embargoed: 29th July 2021 17:51
- Keywords: Fire extreme weather floods heat waves
- Location: EXETER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM, SCHULD, GERMANY, PEPINSTER, BELGIUM, MADRID, SPAIN, KLAMATH COUNTY, AND BEATTY OREGON, UNITED STATES, HELSINKI, FINLAND,
- City: EXETER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM, SCHULD, GERMANY, PEPINSTER, BELGIUM, MADRID, SPAIN, KLAMATH COUNTY, AND BEATTY OREGON, UNITED STATES, HELSINKI, FINLAND,
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Environment,Europe,Weather
- Reuters ID: LVA003ELY9G7B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Even under 'best case' scenarios for emissions reductions the world will still have to get used to more extreme weather events, one scientist said on Thursday (July 15) as devastating flooding left at least 42 people dead in Germany.
The floods have caused Germany's worst mass loss of life in years. Flooding in 2002 killed 21 people in eastern Germany and more than 100 across the wider central European region.
Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her dismay on Thursday.
In Belgium, around 10 houses collapsed in Pepinster after the river Vesdre flooded the eastern town and residents were evacuated from more than 1,000 homes.
Weather experts said that rain in the region over the past 24 hours had been unprecedented, as a near-stationary low-pressure weather system also caused sustained local downpours to the west in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
While other extreme weather events have been directly attributed to human-induced climate change, like the June heatwave that suffocated the western part of North America, the data still needs to be crunched to make the direct link between the weather seen in Germany and human activity, senior scientist at the British met office, Nikos Christidis, said.
Overall as a trend though the link between the burning of fossil fuels and other activities and extreme weather was clear, he added.
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