European and UK temperatures swing by as much as 15C as ‘whiplash’ hits

{"text":[[{"start":10.05,"text":"Temperatures in countries including the UK, Ireland, France and Belgium are forecast to jump more than 15C in a little over a week as “climate whiplash” hits Europe."}],[{"start":21.4,"text":"The term refers to sudden swings between hot and cold as well as extreme dry to extreme wet conditions, which scientists have identified as being influenced by global warming as rising temperatures disrupt atmospheric patterns."}],[{"start":35.3,"text":"The continent has rapidly swung from an unusually cold Arctic frost earlier in May to a heatwave. In parts of Belgium, France and northern Spain, temperatures are expected to jump by 18C over a week. At the same time, parts of western Russia have been hit with drops of 18C. "}],[{"start":55.3,"text":"“Europe is experiencing weather whiplash on a striking scale,” said Hannah Cloke, regius professor in meteorology and climate science at Reading University. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":65.45,"text":"While Europe was set to endure an “intense heat surge”, just two weeks ago the “Arctic outbreak [had] left some areas running 15C below their seasonal averages”, leading to frosts threatening vineyards in France and snow falling in the Alps, she noted."}],[{"start":79.8,"text":"The consequences of the extreme weather shifts were “wide-ranging”, from farmers suffering “crop damage from both late frosts and sudden heat”, to stretched health services having to respond to cold-related illness one week and heat exhaustion the next. "}],[{"start":95.6,"text":"“Infrastructure designed for stable, predictable conditions struggles to cope when temperatures swing this sharply,” she added. "}],[{"start":102.94999999999999,"text":"Both the British and Spanish authorities issued heat warnings, as Europe braced for the first heatwave of the summer."}],[{"start":109.89999999999999,"text":"The UK broke its May record of 32.8C set in 1944, with the temperature reaching 34.8C in Kew Gardens, south-west London on the bank holiday Monday. Similar temperatures were expected for the following 24 hours."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":126.64999999999999,"text":"A study published last summer by the Met Office said breaking the 32.8C May record was around three times more likely in the present climate than it would have been had the world not been affected by greenhouse-gas emissions. "}],[{"start":141.04999999999998,"text":"In western Europe — where global warming is twice the global average — Cloke said after a “chilly and disrupted start to May,” a large, stable block of high pressure was settling in."}],[{"start":152.39999999999998,"text":"“As air sinks beneath it, it heats up through compression, pushing surface temperatures well beyond what we would expect at this time of year,” she said.  "}],[{"start":162.2,"text":"“This is then further intensified by very warm air being drawn in from north Africa and the Iberian peninsula, as well as strong solar heating as we approach the longest days of the year.”"}],[{"start":174.1,"text":"Other parts of the Northern Hemisphere are also experiencing extreme heat, including India, where temperatures have exceeded 45C in many regions. On Friday, the India Meteorological Department said “heatwave to severe heatwave conditions [were] likely to continue to prevail” over many parts of the country for the next week."}],[{"start":194.6,"text":"Research last year found that “climate whiplash” was experienced by 15 per cent of the world’s 100 most populous cities, including Hangzhou in China and Jakarta in Indonesia, as a result of an intensification of both droughts and floods. "}],[{"start":null,"text":"

Where climate change meets business, markets and politics. Explore the FT’s coverage here.

Are you curious about the FT’s environmental sustainability commitments? Find out more about our science-based targets here

"}],[{"start":219.15,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1779799768_4526.mp3"}