A recent study has found that climate change is causing giant heat waves to move more slowly across the planet, resulting in prolonged exposure to higher temperatures over larger areas, which is affecting more people. This study is more comprehensive than previous research, focusing not only on temperature and area, but also on the duration and movement of high heat across continents. According to the study, from 1979 to 1983, global heat waves lasted an average of eight days, but from 2016 to 2020, this increased to 12 days. The study also highlighted that Eurasia experienced longer-lasting heat waves, while Africa saw a slowdown, and North America and Australia experienced the greatest increases in overall magnitude. Climate scientist Michael Wehner warns that this research serves as a clear warning that climate change is making heat waves even more dangerous. For more information, you can read the full article on phys.org.
