Fires, droughts, heat waves… the season of all dangers begins

Trees that bloom, meadows that grow back, birds that chirp… if spring is synonymous with rebirth, it also paradoxically marks the start of a season of all dangers on a global scale. Fires, hurricanes, droughts, heat waves were only waiting for the return of sunny days to express themselves. And while the Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc on all continents, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the UN body that is a reference in climate matters, sounds the alert because "a large part of the world, especially the northern hemisphere, now entering the time of year, faces the highest risks of extreme weather. ”

Arctic zombie fires

The European atmospheric monitoring service Copernicus is therefore concerned about the "anomalies" in temperatures observed in the regions of the far North, fearing the resurgence of "zombie" fires. "Fireplaces burn slowly below the surface during the winter and can re-ignite surface vegetation in the spring when the snow and ice disappear," said Mark Parrington, expert from the European Atmospheric Monitoring Service Copernicus.

These underlying fires would have woken up with the dryness and heat of the past few days. "We actually measured a temperature of 30.5 ° C on May 24 at Yarol'in in Siberia, a heat never observed on this date," notes the meteorologist Guillaume Séchet, author of the extreme weather book (Ed. Hugo Image) . The Arctic Circle had suffered fires of exceptional magnitude in 2019.

Hurricane returns to the United States

Olivier, a Frenchman living along the coast in Florida, has already lived last year in fear of the passage of Hurricane Dorian which devastated the Bahamas. As the official season for these huge tropical whirlpools begins on June 1, the Frenchman has therefore invested in two generators to prepare for possible power cuts. The WMO expects this year to be “worse than usual”. It is also in June that the monsoon season begins in India and Bangladesh with cyclones which often form in the Indian Ocean. The Pacific Northwest enters the typhoon season.

Extreme heat in Europe…

You enjoyed the exceptionally hot and sunny spring… prepare for a scorching summer. And this is not good news for climate experts who fear the combined health effects of heat and coronavirus.

In 2018, more than 70,000 people were hospitalized in Japan for heat-related illnesses and at least 1,032 people died. Heat waves in the United States kill more people than any other climate-related threat. The global heat and health information network has recently released guidance on how to deal with extreme temperatures during the pandemic.

“Increased health” risks due to Covid-19

"The approaching summer in the northern hemisphere should mark a new warmth record," warns WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis Kapp, adding that "Covid-19 increases health risks from heat for many people ". Among those vulnerable to both Covid-19 and heat are obviously those over the age of 65 and those with underlying health conditions (cardiovascular, pulmonary, kidney, diabetes and obesity). "The heat can worsen the consequences for patients with the virus and could increase transmission rates when people gather outside and in public spaces," warns the UN agency.

In addition, an influx of heat victims into the health services can put them to the test at a time when many have already reached a breaking point due to Covid-19. "Reducing the number of people developing heat-related illnesses should be a priority to help minimize admissions to already overcrowded hospitals," said Joy Shumake-Guillemot, head of the joint office of the World Health Organization ( WHO) and WMO for climate and health.