And this is not without consequences, particularly on air quality and our health in general. The most fragile are obviously the most vulnerable to these heat episodes.
In 2024, Belgium will experience 26 additional days of extreme heat. © Belga Images
In 2024, Belgium will experience 26 more days of extreme heat, according to a report from WWA (World Weather Attribution) and Climate Central. These temperatures exceed 90% of the highest recorded between 1991 and 2020. Enough to worry about the future consequences of climate change on health and daily life.
A worrying global average
Globally, climate change has added 41 days of intense heat on average this year. This figure hides marked regional disparities: some small island states, such as Barbados or Nauru, suffered more than 150 days of additional heat, exposing their inhabitants to increased risks.
“I’m singing in the rain”
In any case, we hope so because we will have to get used to this rain which accompanies us almost daily. In addition to heat waves, 2024 was marked by exceptional rains. In central Europe, the Sahel and the southeast of the United States, precipitation reached record levels, not seen since 1994. These events are among the 219 extreme weather phenomena recorded this year, including 26 directly aggravated by climate change. .
“We are already experiencing the impacts”
For climatologist Friederike Otto, founder of World Weather Attribution, the observation is clear: “The harmful consequences of human-induced climate change are not a vague threat. They are already our reality.” These extreme events, which caused 3,700 deaths in 2024, call for urgent actions to protect populations and ecosystems.
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