Mega Heat 2021: Nearly 50 degrees in Canada – does this also threaten Germany?

In Canada and the USA, temperatures of nearly 50 degrees have been measured – triggered by the so-called thermometer. Does this threaten Germany too?

USA – A heat wave has swept Canada and the United States for weeks. Temperatures over 40 degrees make man and nature difficult to handle. The reason is a weather constellation.

Extreme temperatures in Canada and the USA: wildfires wreak havoc

Canada set a new record. Surely no one wanted that, because the result was many dead and animals. The small Canadian town of Lytton, British Columbia, recently reported the highest temperature ever recorded in Canada: 49.5 degrees. Heat swept the city. More than 90 percent of the village was destroyed by a forest fire like this Spiegel mentioned.

The many wildfires in the USA and Canada are difficult to control. Heat itself is also a problem for people and nature. The news agency said several hundred people had died due to the sweltering heat France Press agency reported (as of July 14). Public shelters, usually used to protect people from hurricanes, are being converted into cooling centers.

Heatwave Danger: The Suffering of Nature and Wildlife

It looks worse for nature. It wasn’t just wildfires that hit it, meanwhile the sea off the coast had warmed so much that the mussels were beginning to become extinct on a large scale. It is cooked in the sea.

The local newspaper reported that more than a billion animals have already died the star In an interview with marine biologist Chris Harley of the University of British Columbia (other topics on weather and climate on RUHR24).

Extreme weather phenomenon: experts warn of heat bell

The phenomenon called a thermal dome usually occurs every few thousand years. Winds bring warm air from the Pacific Ocean to western North America. However, heading north, the polar plane stops and prevents warm air from moving. The sun continues to warm the air little by little. According to a report by Rheinische Post Weather experts are currently warning of an increase in more frequent heat waves due to climate change.

Canadian climate expert David Phillips shares this view. Compared with the ARD He said, “Climate change didn’t create the heat dome. But it makes them worse. I think that’s the human element.”

Temperatures above 40 degrees: Extreme heat may also threaten Germany

The question many are now asking: Could Germany be threatened by severe weather similar to that of Canada and the United States? The obvious answer is yes! The summer of 2003 was hot due to a similar climatic condition. They are called omega weather patterns in this country. Means: high altitude over central Europe, while at the same time hot air flows in from southern Europe.

Temperatures above 40 degrees have already occurred several times in Germany. Therefore, a severe heat wave could occur in this country, according to an expert daswetter.com. Germany still has little advantage over the Baltic and North Seas. At least there water has a cooling effect.

But the weather expert is sure: “The weather must be right and then we will be in the middle of the scorching heat. The danger increases every year and the prospects are terrible!”

Preventing a wave of hints in Germany: experts give advice

However, there must at least be ways to prevent a heat wave of this magnitude. Anyone who has his own garden can at least improve the so-called microclimate there. If you have a lot of plants in your garden, you guarantee a little less heat and also contribute to biodiversity, according to Naturschutzbund Deutschland (Nabu).

On the other hand, rock gardens should not be created under any circumstances. “By evaporating the water, plants lower the temperature. On the other hand, stones and cement store heat and continue to heat the environment. Hedges also mean less dew and rainwater evaporate. This would give the plants behind the fence more water.” If your garden is large enough, you can use trees to provide shade. (Bebo)

Title list image: © KATHRYN ELSESSER