Torrential rains in Japan, record-breaking heatwaves in Europe, and recurring droughts in the western US. For the second year in a row the start of summer in the northern hemisphere has been marked by extreme weather. To what extent is global warming to blame?
In France, a particularly intense heatwave is set to start on July 11, lasting over a week with temperatures of more than 38°C in a large portion of the country. The exceptionally warm weather will also hit the Iberian peninsula, with temperatures over 40°C in Spain and Portugal, and the UK. This comes after France, Portugal and Spain experienced heatwaves in June, and Spain recorded the hottest May weather since the beginning of the century.
Firefighters in France have already raised concerns over the increased possibility of wildfires due to dry, hot weather.
At the end of June, Japan too was hit by an unprecedented heatwave. The mercury rose to 35°C for consecutive days in the capital, Tokyo, and up to 40°C in Isesaki in the centre of the country. Such consistently high temperatures broke records for the time of year, and were swiftly followed by torrential rains across the Japanese archipelago.
Across the Pacific Ocean, the western states of the US have been hit by significant droughts that are becoming an annual event. This year, however, experts are concerned that reservoir levels will fall so low that the Hoover Dam will no longer be able to produce electricity for hundreds of thousands of American homes.
