From Greek wildfires to Irish downpours: Climate change in three charts

Climate change has risen to the top of the news agenda again this week, as a heatwave in large areas of the Mediterranean brought wildfires which forced the evacuation of thousands of tourists in Greece. Meanwhile, downpours continued in Ireland, bringing flash flooding to the streets of some Donegal towns.

It comes as an analysis today by scientists with the organisation World Weather Attribution found the searing heatwaves impacting Europe and North America would have been almost impossible without climate change. The analysis indicates that extreme heatwaves, such as those occurring in southern Europe, are set to become hotter, more frequent and longer due to climate change.

Today Ireland’s Climate Change Advisory Council (CCAC) said the pace at which the Government is implementing agreed climate policy “is not acceptable, given the existential threat and impact” climate change is having on society, an independent watchdog has warned.

Here are three charts telling the stories of this week’s climate crisis:

1. As the heatwave continues in Europe, this chart shows temperatures at 2 metres above the earth’s surface on July 24th. Air temperatures at 2 metres above the earth’s surface approximate most closely to the conditions a person would most likely experience.