First risk: heat stress
During summer 2022, large parts of Europe recorded large heat stress anomalies. Much of southern and western Europe experienced more than five days of severe heat stresswith several regions in the southwest that it is have experienced over 50. Furthermore, Frsmall areas, always in the southwest, have experienced up to 10 days of extreme heat stressfor whom immediate action is needed to avoid heat stroke.
The UTCI index
Heat stress is calculated using indices that take into account a series of atmospheric and environmental parameters to calculate the effect of high temperatures on the human body. One of these indices is theUniversal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), which takes into account temperature, humidity, wind speed, sunlight and heat emitted by the surrounding environment and how the human body reacts to this set of factors.
Severe to extreme heat stress: trend increasing
Across Europe, there is an upward trend in the number of days during which theUTCI maximum falls into the categories of severe heat stress and heat stress very strong. In southern Europe there is also an increase in the number of days with extreme heat stress. At the same time, the days in which, in summer, heat stress is absent or moderate, decrease.
No stress: downtrend
In Southern Europe, summer 2022 recorded the highest number of days with severe heat stress starting dto 1950, and the second lowest number of days without heat stress.
Even in northern Europe there is one downward trend in the number of days without heat stressThat from the 50s to the 90s was around 33% and in 2022 of 24%.
The hot season 2023practically not started yet, already worries. In Spain temperatures never seen in April were reached, until 38,8°C a Cordoba and over 35°C in several other locations, so much so that the first heat warnings have already been issued. And it’s only the end of April!
Second risk: troposporic ozone
Periods of exceptionally high temperatures and long hours of sunshine lead to stagnation of pollutants in the lower atmosphere and to the consequent production of ozone which mainly results from these pollutants. High levels of surface ozone pollution are common, in estate, throughout Europe and in the Mediterranean regions.
With the increase in temperatures and periods of strong atmospheric stability and prolonged sunshine, these high levels can rise further and even exceed the risk threshold for human health. This happened during the summer of 2022.
I record dell’estate 2022
Nell’summer of 2022much of northwestern Europe experienced conditions, including temperatures e pressure elevated to the ground, hours of sunshine above average e below average winds, which favored the accumulation of pollutants in the lower atmosphere and therefore theincrease in ozone levels. Dto 18 to 20 July, in most of Europe they are registered ozone values above the threshold of risk for human health, up to almost double in the regions around the Western North Sea.
High levels of ozone they met often in combination with high levels of the index UTCIplacing additional health risks for vulnerable people and those with respiratory problems.
Summer: the former warm season
Following the climate changes that have occurred in recent decades, perhaps we should no longer call summer “the warm season” and a warm, sunny day “a beautiful day”. It’s a change that we could define “epochal” of common sense.
Some information taken from: https://climate.copernicus.eu