THEL Mare Nostrum is hot and such temperatures are one of the factors that is causing the violent storms and tornadoes of these days. To understand the reasons, however, we need to take a step back.
Storms and tornadoes, what’s happening
Precipitation arises when a mass of cold air meets a mass of moist and warm air which causes the water to condense and it rains. The violent events of these days are due to the fact that in these days the air and ground were exceptionally hot, and the sea temperatures very high, and to the first incursion of a whirlwind of cold air has created extreme precipitation.
The Mediterranean is too hot
The Mediterranean has reached this year peaks of 29 degrees, five points more, compared to the European peak of 2003. And if the high temperature can be pleasant for swimming, it is definitely disastrous in perspective for the climatic trend. But that’s not enough, there is another negative element: the rise in sea levelgrown 20 centimeters in 138 years.
There Medfs Foundationthe “Foundation for Sustainable Development of the Mediterranean” had signaled that this would be a special year for the sea, just like in 2003, the year of record heat across Europe. And the graphic representation of the situation, available on the site, is truly disturbing.
The flooded streets in the east of Naples after a storm in the morning (Ansa)
Blame it on climate change?
On the fact that the fault lies with the climate change the issue is delicate because the climate is statistically defined by the set of “habits” of the atmosphere. That is, with what frequency and intensity phenomena of this type occur. Indeed, a single event does not explain the climate. And it is precisely for this reason that scientists are studying how many possibilities there are that the phenomenon could repeat itself next year.
The world is changing… for the worse
What is certain is that, looking at the constantly updated charts almost in real time on the Ispra websitethe Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, which plays a very important role in assessing climate change, it is easy to understand at a glance how, in the space of a decade or so the trends changed very rapidly.
Giovanni Soldini: “We must act now”
The sailor Giovanni Soldini also spoke on the climate crisis. There violent whirlwind near Marina di Carrarawhich caused enormous damage, in fact, also raised his Maserati Multi70 boat, making it come out of the reservoir and throwing it to the ground meters away.
And from social media he launched his umpteenth message. «These violent meteorological events, which cause very serious damage, are linked to the high temperature of the Mediterranean water and are increasingly frequent. The climate emergency is under everyone’s eyesto limit the consequences we must act now ».
Faster ongoing climate change
Changes in the climate have been observed by scientists since the middle of the last century. The earth’s climate, in fact, it is subject to fluctuations that depend on natural causes such as solar radiation, ocean circulation and volcanic eruptions. Over the past few years, however, i man-made changes in the climate system have been deeper and more rapid. Mainly through the increasing emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Scientists have been wondering about it since 1979, the date of the first world conference on climate change how to predict and prevent potential anthropogenic changes and which could have a negative effect on the well-being of humanity.
The devastating human impact
The first volume of the latest IPCC report of 2021 (AR6), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s leading forum of climate experts, confirms that the Earth’s climate is warming and that human influence on the climate system is unequivocal.
Unfortunately, among the different areas, the Mediterranean basin is considered particularly vulnerable (hot spots) to climate change. And, even if the growth of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere were halted during this century, it is unlikely, Ispra argues, climate change and sea level rise caused by the past, current and future human activities, could be interrupted. Climate change is already underway and is set to continue.
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