Extreme temperaturesdrought, forest fires… The heat wave currently hitting Western Europe implacably illustrates – for those who still doubted it – the consequences of global warming.
In the current state of things, we are heading towards a warming of 3 or even 4 degrees by 2100. According to climatologist Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, interviewed by our colleagues from Bel RTL, this situation would have devastating consequences, in particular from the point of view of repetition and frequency of heat waves. “Unfortunately, even if it was inconceivable a few years ago, we are going to approach 50 degrees. It’s not next year but in the course of this century: we will reach extremes which will approach 50 degrees, if we do not manage to stabilize the climate”, warns the IPCC member.
“We can have forest fires at home too”
Temperatures that would inevitably lead to more fires and wildfires. A phenomenon that cannot be ruled out in Belgium, according to the expert. “Weather conditions conducive to fires will become more and more frequent, in the Mediterranean rim in any case. But a little further north, that is to say at home, it will come a little later, with a little less intensity. But I think we should also expect the drought to cause it here. We have already seen, near Mouscron and in other places, agricultural fires, straw fires and things like that that show that the weather conditions are favorable for fires. Back home, we can have forest fires too.”
Finally, the climatologist warns of the risks that heat waves can have on health and predicts “hundreds of deaths“following the extreme temperatures of this month of July.
