An unheard-of heat wave hit Europe in July; in the UK, it went over 40°C for the first time in the history of the record. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Portugal was 47.0°C. During the month of July, the heat in Europe resulted in over 4200 fatalities and ignited hundreds of forest fires. This unusual weather occurrence is widespread over the whole Northern Hemisphere and is not just present in Europe. This summer, temperatures in Dallas and Shanghai have both surpassed 44.4°F.

Experts said that this heat wave is a direct result of global warming that is getting increasingly severe. The subtropical jet stream - a belt of rapid air current located at about 30°N - was disturbed by the climate change, and a part of it split into two and weakened. The jet stream usually prevents hot air near the equator from moving north, but as it was weakened, it was able to cross the jet stream and result in an unprecedented heat wave. Experts also commented that these extreme climates will happen more frequently and severely soon, and they may become a norm amid the situation of global warming.

https://www.europeans24.com/2022/07/heatwave-2022-how-long-will-the-heat-wave-last.html

After the industrial revolution, there was an approximately 1.5°C increase in the average world temperature. According to experts, a temperature increases of 2°C from the 18th century will be "catastrophic and irreversible." After then, a positive feedback loop will keep raising the temperature even if we cease producing any greenhouse gases. For instance, when icebergs melt more, the sunlight reflects less, and as ocean temperatures rise, carbon dioxide that has been dissolved in the water escapes to the sky. It is predicted that the temperature will rise by 2°C in 2050 if no steps are made to limit carbon dioxide emissions, and that prediction is getting closer each year.  

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