The Washington PostThe Washington Post

It's not just hot. Climate anomalies are emerging around the globe

By Brady Dennis and Scott Dance

01 Aug 2023 · 7 min read

informed Summary

  1. July was filled with weather anomalies, including deadly rains in India, wildfires in the U.S., and heatwaves in Europe. These events are consistent with predictions for a warming planet, but some, such as historically low Antarctic sea ice levels and record-breaking North Atlantic sea surface temperatures, were so extreme they surprised scientists.

A glimpse of a more tumultuous future seemed on full display throughout July, a month packed with weather anomalies that exceeded any definition of normal.

It brought deadly and historic rains to parts of India and Vermont, and raging wildfires that delivered dangerous air to parts of the United States and Canada - all the sort of calamities that researchers have long predicted as the planet heats up. Protracted heat waves that enveloped parts of North America and Europe during July would have been "virtually impossible" without the fingerprint of climate change, researchers found.

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