Mercury rising

Source– The post is based on the article “Mercury rising” published in  “The Hindu” on 29th July 2023.

Syllabus: GS3- Environment

Relevance: Issues related to climate change

News- The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, this week reiterated the consequences of the climate catastrophe that has spread globally. The earth had passed from a warming phase into an “era of global boiling”.

How climate change is leading to extreme weather patterns?

July is set to be the hottest month in the last 12,000 years.  As per Scientists from the WMO and the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, conditions in July were “rather remarkable and unprecedented”.

Average July temperature has been 16.95° Celsius. It is 0.2° C warmer than in July 2019.

Ocean temperatures are increasing and the Central Equatorial Pacific Ocean is transitioning from La Niña to El Niño conditions. So, it was widely anticipated that temperatures would be warmer than in the last three years.

But, the distribution and impact of the recorded 16.95°C temperature was unexpected. It resulted in extreme weather events such as northwest China experiencing temperatures as high as 52°C, wildfires breaking out in Greece.

The unusually heavy rains in north and western India were influenced by the warm air increasing the atmosphere’s capacity to hold moisture. This led to intense, short torrential bursts of rain, floods and significant devastation.

How can climate change be tackled effectively?

As per UN secretary General, there is a need for dramatic, immediate climate action.

The world’s largest economies should adopt more ambitious emission cuts.

How will these events impact India?

There will be greater pressure on India for greenhouse gas mitigation responsibilities. This could mean advancing its net zero commitments from 2070 to 2050, and generating fossil-free electricity by 2040.