Recent heatwaves as a prelude to climate extremes in the western Mediterranean region

npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, 18 September 2024. Ernesto Tejedor, Gerardo Benito, Roberto Serrano-Notivoli, Fidel González-Rouco, Jan Esper, Ulf Büntgen. (Open Access.)

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Abstract

The 2022 and 2023 western Mediterranean summer temperatures exceeded millennial natural variability, reaching unprecedented anomalies of +3.6 °C and +2.9 °C respectively. We show that anthropogenic climate change may turn extreme heatwaves from a rarity of 1 in 10,000 years into events occurring every 4–75 years, depending on future scenarios. This shift underscores the urgency of implementing adaptive strategies as extreme climate events manifest sooner and more intensely than expected. Source: nature.com.

Published Sep. 18, 2024 12:11 PM - Last modified May 31, 2026 1:58 PM