Human-Induced Climate Crisis Blamed for Deadly Heat Wave in West Africa, Sahel: BBC Report

The deadly heat wave that hit West Africa and the Sahel last month would not have been possible without the human-induced climate crisis. The BBC based on new scientific research. During the heatwave, hundreds of people died as a direct result of extreme temperatures.

In Mali, for example, one of the worst affected areas, the temperature exceeded 48 degrees Celsius. According to the researchers, the extreme heat is due to the use of fossil fuels. In addition, industrial deforestation depends on allowing the earth to cool sufficiently. In West Africa and the Sahel it was 1.5 degrees warmer than normal during the day and 2 degrees at night. “For some people it’s just a small difference, but for the victims that extra heat meant the difference between life and death,” the researchers said. of the victims over 60 years of age.

As a result of the climate crisis, the Earth will experience extreme weather more often. The researchers claim that last month’s heat wave happened at least once every two hundred years before the industrial age, but now the chance of this happening is once in twenty year. If the temperature continues to rise, which is expected because the consumption of fossil fuels is only increasing at this time, such heat waves will become more common.