The heat waves of the future will be even hotter. Global warming is affecting the weather. The trend is pointing toward even warmer heat waves in the future. Kevin Trenberth, climate analysis branch chief for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, says that heat waves and global warming “are very strongly” connected. He confirmed that studies in the last five years have shown that climate changes are most dangerous during high temperatures, droughts and flooding.
Currently, persistent high pressure systems in the upper atmosphere prevent cooler air from reaching the West Coast. California is experiencing heat waves daily. The nights are generally warmer and the days have become drier.
While heat waves always occur, Trenberth said that global warming is pushing it up another notch. Ken Kunkel, director, stated that the computer models show that soon we’ll get many more and they will become increasingly hotter.
In the past twenty-five years, evenings in the summer have gotten warmer. The studies have shown that European heat waves have increased in frequency since 1880. They will continue to increase. In the United States, California seems to be hit hardest. The temperature in Death Valley last week reached one hundred twenty – six degrees.
The United States is experiencing higher temperatures in general and a study done between 1999 and 2003 showed nine hundred heat related deaths. This year there have been one hundred thirty two in central California already.
It is important to recognize that we are becoming more vulnerable to the heat and temperature. It is important that each of us gets at least three hours a day of cooling to avoid serious problems. Encourage your elderly friends and neighbors to be alert to the problem. If each of us looks out for our neighbors, there will be less heat related deaths.