Environmentalists are concerned that severe temperatures are growing globally, not just in India. Here are a few theories that might apply.
Unprecedented heatwaves in 2024 have scorched not just India but also many other parts of the world. At least forty people have died in Mexico as a result of an extended and severe heatwave, according to the Washington Post. It’s seeping into the United States presently. Temperatures in Florida, Texas, and some areas of Nevada might get as high as 44 degrees Celsius, according to experts. Mexico’s record high temperature has already been shattered several times by the intense heat. Additionally, scientists at Mexico’s National Autonomous University have predicted that early June would bring “the highest temperatures ever recorded” to the nation.
The intense weather has been linked by meteorologists to a phenomenon called a heat dome.
What is Heat Dome
It is a meteorological phenomena where a ridge of high pressure traps heat and air, according to NASA’s Earth Observatory.
Like a lid on a boiling pot, a heat dome retains warm ocean air and keeps cooler air from escaping. As hot air extends vertically into the sky, it is forced toward the earth by high pressure. It compresses and traps even more heat beneath since it has nowhere to go.
According to Princeton University’s Gabriel A. Vecchi, heat domes and heatwaves occur simultaneously with Time Magazine. However, a heat dome makes a heatwave stronger and longer-lasting.
Severe heatwave sweeping the globe
The greatest temperature ever recorded in India was 52.9 degrees on Wednesday, according to a meteorological station in Delhi, the nation’s capital. To ascertain if the record reading at the Mungeshpur station was caused by a local factor or a sensor fault, an inquiry has been initiated.
The UK saw its first temperature over 40 degrees Celsius in July 2022. Then, a village in China registered 52 degrees Celsius last year—the greatest temperature the nation has ever experienced.
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Sicily, Italy, had the hottest temperature in Europe ever in 2021—48.8 degrees Celsius. And Antarctica is becoming hotter too.
The Effect of Urban Heat Islands
Urban heat island (UHI) impact exacerbates heatwave effects. Thanks to land surface alterations and human activity, urban areas are often much warmer than their rural equivalents.
The UHI effect is caused by a number of factors, such as the dense population of roads, buildings, and other heat-absorbing and heat-retaining infrastructure. Furthermore, evapotranspiration and other natural cooling mechanisms are decreased when there is a dearth of flora and greenery.
