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Fires, Floods and Heatwaves: The Summer When the World Goes Crazy | Israel today

2021-10-10T20:19:06.158Z


In Canada, humans have died as temperatures soared and a devastating cyclone has wreaked havoc in Oman • From California to Greenland, and from Nevada to Jerusalem, climate disasters have left an impression that can no longer be ignored


The summer of 2021 was undoubtedly the summer in which we felt strongly the effects of global warming on the planet.

In just a few months, the world has witnessed several unprecedented climatic events that have made this past summer a record-breaker.

And there is also scientific evidence for this.

According to researchers, the summer of 2021 was the hottest since measurements began.

The temperature in August this year was 0.93 higher than the average in the 20th century, and July 2021 was the hottest and broke the record of 2016. If so, it is no wonder that a series of events took place in different parts of the world, proving to us again our life.

We have collected some of the significant events for you, yes - also in Israel.

The floods in Europe

In mid-July, unusual amounts of rain hit Europe, leading to huge floods.

Germany, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium suffered heavy damage.

A total of about 180 people lost their lives due to the disaster.

Most of the damage was in Germany, where dozens of people were killed and many were missing.

In the county of Arweiler in the west of the country an entire village was destroyed.

Other countries also had very heavy property damage and extensive destruction.

In the Netherlands many were evacuated from their homes due to rain damage and severe flooding.

In Belgium, they also suffered casualties.

Weather experts said even then: "What Europe is going through is unusual on a historical scale."

Extreme heat wave in Canada and the United States

Even in this part of the earth not particularly calm.

In late June and early July, an unprecedented heat wave hit North America.

In Canada, the heat record was recorded in Lyton, British Columbia, where 49.6 degrees Celsius was measured.

This heat wave has taken a heavy toll with hundreds dead.

The previous record set in Canada stands at 45 degrees and was set in 1935.

A lake that has dried up in a heat wave in the USA, Photo: AFP

In Nevada, USA, the temperatures climbed to 54. Additional records were broken across the U.S. while in Portland, Oregon, 46.1 degrees were measured.

In Central Washington, the thermometer climbed to 42.2 degrees.

The heat load led to many deaths.

Experts have claimed that this is a climatic phenomenon known as "heat dome" and brings with it hot and humid air.

Constant fires in California

One of the effects of the heat waves in the western United States is the severe fires that are hitting the region, with an emphasis on California.

California fires // Photo: Reuters,

These fires consumed about four percent of the total area of ​​California - an amount equal to the area of ​​Connecticut.

Dixie, the biggest fire this summer, consumed about a million acres!

So are the August fires in the summer of 2020. And here’s another statistic: As the years go by, the fires get bigger and the total area burned each year is on a steady rise.

Huge fires in Greece and Turkey

In late July and early August, following the heat wave that hit Europe, severe fires broke out in Greece and Turkey.

The fires consumed hundreds of thousands of acres for days and tens of thousands of people from the south of the country were evacuated from their homes for fear of being harmed.

Thousands of firefighters battled flames raging near the capital Athens.

This is one of the worst heat waves to hit the country since the 1980s.

Greece needed assistance with firefighting efforts from other countries and Israel even sent nine light firefighting planes.

Hundreds of fires also broke out in neighboring Turkey, leading to the loss of life.

The fire consumed many acres and caused much destruction.

Turkish President Erdogan has declared a state of emergency in the country and sought assistance from Russia and other countries. 

Floods in Oman

During last July, particularly unusual amounts of rain fell on the Oman Desert.

Let's explain - this is a country where the total precipitation is very low, and it is not prepared at all to deal with a flood.

The rain that fell caused heavy floods and damage, as well as the loss of human life.

Houses were flooded, cars sank, roads were blocked and buildings collapsed.

In the videos that went up on social media, it seemed that the country whose landscapes are mostly desert, has become an unstoppable river.

In the coastal city of Sur, for example, more than 200 millimeters of rain fell in just two days - this is the average amount of two full years.

Floods in Oman have caused unprecedented destruction, Photo: API

Large damage was also recorded in early October, when cyclone "Shaheen" hit the country.

Several people died in floods and landslides.

Much destruction and many were evacuated by emergency services.

As time goes on, it seems that the extreme events in the country that are not at all accustomed to this climate will only intensify.

Huge hail balls in Italy

A particularly violent hailstorm hit Italy in late July.

Huge hailstones falling from the sky caused extensive damage - traffic on a major road in the country connecting Milan and Naples was halted, windows and car windows were smashed and several people were injured by the shrapnel.

And if that wasn’t enough, the unusual weather has led to floods in the Lake Como area and severe mudslides.

Many needed rescue and much destruction was caused to property, along with the heavy and long-term damage caused to agriculture in the country.

Rain at the Greenland Ice Summit

Last August, for the first time in documented history, rain fell at the highest point at the summit of Greenland.

This is a worrying sign that the glacier's condition is increasing, along with the frequency of extreme climatic events last summer.

Rain falls at the summit of Greenland's ice dome // Photo: Reuters,

The incident was documented on August 14, while a heat wave hit Greenland.

It was raining at the summit for several hours.

"It's not a healthy sign for the glacier," said Indrani Das, a glaciologist at Columbia University. "Water is a bad sign, it just causes further melting of the glacier."

A total of 7 billion tonnes of rain fell across Greenland over three days, from August 14 to August 16 - the largest amount since measurements began.

The fire in the mountains of Jerusalem

During August 2021, one of the largest fires in the Jerusalem mountains broke out in recent years. About 25 dunams were completely burned.

About 2,000 residents were evacuated from a number of settlements, including Beit Meir, Ramat Raziel and Kiryat Ya'arim.

The fire in the Jerusalem mountains, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon

So true, fire investigators have determined that this is indeed man-made arson.

However, it is important to address here an aspect that many do not pay any attention to at all.

Although humans are the ones who ignited, the rapid spread of the fire is undoubtedly a result of the warming climate in the country.

Firefighters had a hard time controlling the fire mainly because of the weather conditions that only kindled the fire more and more. 

And in direct context - here in Israel, too, we felt that this summer broke new heat records.

In light of all the disasters that have befallen the globe in such a short period of time, we already understand - climate change can no longer be ignored, and we must act - as soon as possible.

Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2021-10-10

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