Climate researchers are warning that Europeans should prepare for the return of "Lucifer," saying the hellishly named heat wave that hit parts of the continent this summer could become a regular occurrence due to man-made climate change. "We found clear evidence of human influence on this summer's record warmth — both in the overall summer temperatures and in the heat wave dubbed Lucifer," said Geert Jan van Oldenborgh, a senior researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. The team's use of actual temperature measurements and computer simulations is widely accepted among scientists as a means of determining whether climate change plays a role in extreme events. "The analysis applies state of the art techniques that have withstood rigorous peer-review in many previous studies," said Maarten van Aalst, director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center. "Climate change is already having a significant impact on the risks we face today, and we should do what we can to keep that risk from rising out of control."

Source: ABC News September 27, 2017 13:31 UTC