The world will face severe climate impacts even with 1.5 C degrees of warming, and the effects get significantly worse with 2 degrees. In a 2 C warmer world, nearly 40 % of the world's population will be exposed to severe heat atleast once every five years (in a 1.5 C warmer world, this percentage will be 14 %).
How quickly heat waves can kill, was brought home when 80,000 people died in Europe's 2003 heat wave. A majority of the deaths occured in August that year. During one shocking week that month, nearly a 100 % more people died in France than would have as per the regular death rate. 40 % extra people died in Portugal, Italy and Spain. Excess mortality exceeded 20% in Germany, Switzerland and Belgium and 10% in four other European countries.
That summer in some weeks, temperatures soared to 20–30 percent above average. Even nightly temperatures were higher than the average summer midday highs. The heat was particularly severe in France, where the temperature remained around 37 °C for more than a week in August in some areas.
The heat wave also affected the environment. Alpine glaciers shrank by 10 percent over the summer. Forest fires raged across western Europe. The heat affected harvests as well: fodder and grain production declined. In addition, high water temperatures and low water levels shut down French nuclear power facilities just when demand for electricity peaked.
How quickly heat waves can kill, was brought home when 80,000 people died in Europe's 2003 heat wave. A majority of the deaths occured in August that year. During one shocking week that month, nearly a 100 % more people died in France than would have as per the regular death rate. 40 % extra people died in Portugal, Italy and Spain. Excess mortality exceeded 20% in Germany, Switzerland and Belgium and 10% in four other European countries.
That summer in some weeks, temperatures soared to 20–30 percent above average. Even nightly temperatures were higher than the average summer midday highs. The heat was particularly severe in France, where the temperature remained around 37 °C for more than a week in August in some areas.
The heat wave also affected the environment. Alpine glaciers shrank by 10 percent over the summer. Forest fires raged across western Europe. The heat affected harvests as well: fodder and grain production declined. In addition, high water temperatures and low water levels shut down French nuclear power facilities just when demand for electricity peaked.
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