Retrospectief kijken of we evidentie vinden voor wat we verwachtten:
- Modelling studies predict that heatwaves will become more frequent as a result of future climate change (see Med to get five times as many dangerously hot days).
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Since 1880, the frequency of extremely hot days has nearly tripled and the length of heatwaves across the continent has doubled.
Previous studies have shown that climate change is likely to make heatwaves more common across Europe. In April for example, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published a report linking a range of changes seen in Earth's weather and ecosystems to global warming (see Climate change is here now, says major report). The latest study suggests that these effects are already being felt.
Extremely hot days are also three times as common now as they were 127 years ago, the researchers found. This greater frequency of very hot days is also what is driving the longer heatwaves, says Della-Marta. On average heatwaves lasted 1.5 days in 1880, but now last about 3 days. Some drag on for up to 13 days.
http://environment.newscientist.com/...-a-mirage.html