unnatural high temperatures faces Spain in recent weeks, while some forecasts suggest it could rise to 40 degrees Celsius by the end of April. Having already gone through the most dry March over the past 20 years, the authorities are now seriously concerned about the imminent water scarcitybecause they see reservoirs emptying in areas heavily dependent on rainfall.

prime minister of the country, Pedro Sanchezmentioned with concern the ongoing “judgment” his country faced because of this changing of the climate. “The Spanish government and I understand that the drought debate will become a central political issue both in the capital and on the periphery of the country,” he said. Many predict that temperatures in the country will far exceed 40 degrees during the summer months.

State meteorological service Aemet said there would be “a gradual intrusion of very warm and dry air mass of African origin”, causing “summer temperatures”.

Aemet said temperatures in the Guadalquivir Valley in southern Spain’s Andalusia region, where cities like Seville are located, “could even hit 40 degrees Celsius” on Thursday or Friday.

This year, the average global sea surface temperature reached a new record high. This is the first time in history that the sea has warmed up so much and so quickly, and scientists currently cannot give an absolutely clear explanation for this phenomenon.

But they fear that this increase, combined with other weather events, could lead to an even greater rise in global temperatures by the end of next year. Experts believe that in the coming months there will be a strong El Niño weather event, an oceanic phenomenon that leads to an increase in the temperature of the oceans, mainly at the height of the equator, by 3°C, raising sea temperatures. even more.

Rising ocean temperatures could not only kill marine life, but also exacerbate extreme weather events. It also makes the oceans less efficient at absorbing the greenhouse gases that warm the planet.

A major new study published last week that went largely unnoticed highlights a very disturbing development. The Earth has stored almost as much heat in the last 15 years as it did in the previous 45 years, with most of the extra heat escaping into the oceans. In March, sea surface temperatures on the east coast of North America were 13.8 degrees above the 1981-2011 average.

“It has not yet been established why such rapid changes are occurring,” said Karina von Schuckmann, lead author of the study and oceanographer at Mercator Ocean International’s research group. “I don’t want to say it’s climate change, or natural variability, or a mixture of both, we don’t know yet. But we see this change and are very concerned,” he added.

Pollution from shipping

One factor that could affect the level of heat entering the oceans is, paradoxically, reduced pollution from shipping. In 2020, the International Maritime Organization introduced regulations to reduce the sulfur content of fuels burned by ships. This had a quick impact, reducing the amount of aerosol particles emitted into the atmosphere. But aerosols that pollute the air also help reflect heat back into space.

Some studies have shown that global warming occurs in leaps and bounds. We see small changes over the course of a few years, and then sharp upswings closely related to the development of El Niño.

According to von Schucmann, there is some hope in this scenario. Temperatures could drop again after El Niño subsides. “We still have a window in which we can act, and we must use it to reduce the consequences,” the researcher emphasized.

Meanwhile, a new British study published in the journal Nature shows that countries and regions that have not previously experienced extreme heat and were not prepared for it are the most vulnerable to heatwaves. Among them are economically developed countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and the region around Beijing, as well as developing countries such as Afghanistan, Guatemala and Papua New Guinea.

Numbers

0.9 degrees Celsius, sea surface temperatures have increased since before the Industrial Revolution.

0.6 degrees Celsius has been sea level rise over the past 40 years.

0.2-0.25 degrees Celsius, the additional increase may be due to the El Niño phenomenon.