Climate change is driving the extreme heat baking France’s Olympics

Il fait trop chaud. The Paris Olympics officially opened connected July 26, conscionable successful clip for athletes to compete successful a hellish power wave.

Last week, Olympians successful nan French superior faced daytime temperatures reaching 35° Celsius (95° Fahrenheit), and successful confederate France temperatures climbed up to 40° C (104° F). Other countries successful nan Mediterranean region besides felt nan power wave. In Spain, nan metropolis of Barcelona recorded its highest-ever somesthesia — 40° C — connected July 31. And successful Italy, nan sweltering upwind helped substance a wildfire successful nan Monte Mario earthy reserve successful Rome. 

This utmost power would not person happened without ambiance change, researchers from nan World Weather Attribution Network reported connected July 31.  “If nan ambiance wasn’t overloaded pinch emissions from burning fossil fuel, Paris would person been astir 3 [degrees] C cooler and overmuch safer for sport,” said climatologist Friederike Otto of nan Imperial College London successful a statement. 

Other parts of nan world sweltered, too. In California, Death Valley group nan grounds for nan hottest period ever recorded connected Earth, averaging 42.5° C (108.5° F) crossed July. A awesome heat dome besides settled successful complete nan confederate United States (SN: 6/21/24). The utmost power swept crossed overmuch of nan state by nan extremity of nan week, pinch nan National Weather Service placing more than 150 cardinal people nether utmost power advisories connected August 1. Antarctica’s eastbound region besides knowledgeable a awesome power wave, pinch crushed temperatures rising beyond 28° C.