(Jaipal Singh/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock)Simultaneous heat waves scorched land areas all over the Northern Hemisphere last summer, killing hundreds and hospitalizing thousands while intensifying destructive and deadly wildfires. A study published this week in the journal Earth’s Future concludes that this heat wave epidemic “would not have occurred without human-induced climate change.”The alarming part? There are signs record-setting heat waves are beginning anew this summer — signaling, perhaps, that these exceptional and widespread heat spells are now the norm. [San Francisco soars to 100 degrees as record heat wave torches California and the West Coast]Heat spread unusually far north, even up into the northern reaches of Scandinavia. [Red hot planet: Last summer’s punishing and historic heat in 7 maps and charts]It remains to be seen whether heat waves this summer become as pervasive and intense as last summer.

Source: Washington Post June 11, 2019 19:17 UTC