Heat warnings have abounded throughout the Grand Duchy this week. Thursday's temperatures are expected to smash the existing records, but where is this heat coming from? What can we expect from the future? And is mankind even capable of controlling climate change? RTL's Tim Morizet discussed the increasing temperatures with Luxembourg climatologist Andrew Ferrone.
Ferrone maintained this is not a regular summer. The hottest summer in recent history occurred in 2003 across Europe, with Remich posting temperatures of 40.5 degrees Celsius. However, this record is currently under threat as the heatwave continues. Thursday's temperatures are set to be 10 degrees higher than average, matching Portugal and Spain.
Ferrone ascribed this to high pressure and hot air moving from Africa across Italy and northwards.
Summers in Luxembourg are effectively getting hotter, according to records which have been kept since 1828. Temperatures in the Grand Duchy have risen by 1.3 degrees on average. A climate crisis cannot be ruled out, said Ferrone, citing international studies which have shown that temperatures across Europe have risen by an average of 4 degrees.
The risk of the permafrost thawing has also increased, which would lead to more CO2 and methane emissions, which would in turn accelerate the planet's warming.
Ferrone pointed to the IPCC's report in October, which highlighted that the above would take place when global temperatures have risen by 1.5 to 2 degrees. We are currently experiencing a temperature augmentation of 1 degree.
Queried as to whether we can curb the effects of climate change, Ferrone said that mankind has the largest effect on climate change, which means that our actions from the next 10 to 20 years are vital to determine whether the global temperature rise can be limited to 1 or 2 degrees. There are a number of factors that come into play, but for the time being it looks like the hot summer is here to stay, said Ferrone, warning of the possibility that the heatwave could cause a drought.
It is still possible that summer 2019 could have more days hotter than 25 degrees, breaking last year's record of 76.
Breaking records: Belgium, Netherlands reach all-time temperature highs, no record in Luxembourg
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