The temperature has been really hot in the last year, with at least 10 or more countries exceeding 50 degrees.
According to meteorologists' predictions, the Earth's temperature will drop sharply as early as next year in 2025, and the average temperature will even drop to about -15 degrees, or even colder.
You know, the minimum temperature for human comfort is at least about 24 degrees, which can be much lower than 24 degrees.
At that time, the earth will be covered by glaciers, animals and plants will be extinct on a large scale, and humanity will also be on a dead end.
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Many people will not believe this, in fact, the current high temperature is already abnormal weather.
The World Meteorological Organization has confirmed that 2023 is the warmest year on record with observations.
The situation seems to be even more serious in 2024. This July is considered the hottest July globally on record.
Heat waves are sweeping the world, and the frequency and severity of their occurrence continue to increase.
In the past year, at least 10 countries have experienced single-day temperatures of more than 50°C in more than one place.
It's no joke, the heat of 50°C is enough to make people feel uncomfortable and even life-threatening.
Let's take Hangzhou as an example. On September 12, 2023, Hangzhou experienced another hot day, with a maximum temperature of 35.4°C.
This temperature reached the standard for a hot day (daily highs ≥ 35°C).
What's even more surprising is that in 2023, Hangzhou has accumulated 60 high temperature days, breaking the record of 59 days set in 2022 and becoming the year with the most high temperature days since 1951.
Look at the situation in India.
In June 2023, temperatures exceeded 40°C in many parts of northwestern and eastern India.
The maximum temperature reached 43°C in Delhi, 42°C in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, and 41°C in Rajasthan.
In such high temperatures, people's daily lives are severely affected and can even be life-threatening.
However, while we are plagued by high temperatures, extreme cold weather such as extreme cold spells and snowstorms have occurred in many parts of the world.
This may seem like a contradiction to overall global warming, but in reality, short-term extremely cold weather does not conflict with long-term warming.
It seems more like a sign of the extremely cold times ahead.
Take, for example, Europe in January 2024.
At the beginning of January, northern Europe experienced extremely cold weather, and western and central Europe experienced winter storms.
But by mid-January, temperatures in northern, western and central Europe had risen sharply.
The same happened in the United States, where temperatures quickly warmed up after a winter storm in mid-January.
So, should we worry about an era of extreme cold in the future?
Scientific studies predict that the "Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)" may collapse. AMOC is one of the Earth's most important climate regulating systems, and its main function is to transport heat and salt to maintain global climate balance.
To understand this seemingly paradoxical phenomenon, we need to understand an important concept: the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).
This complicated-sounding term is actually a giant ocean "conveyor belt" that transports warm water from the Southern Hemisphere and equatorial regions to the high latitudes of the North Atlantic, and then sends the cooled waters back to the south.
This cycle plays a vital role in maintaining the global climate balance.
If the AMOC collapses, it could cause the average temperature in Europe to drop by 5 to 15 degrees Celsius, triggering a series of global impacts.
Research from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark states that the AMOC could collapse between 2025 and 2095.
The latest research even predicts that the AMOC is most likely to collapse between 2037-2064.
This may sound far away, but for the history of the planet, it is nothing more than the blink of an eye.
What happens if the AMOC does crash?
Scientists predict that the Arctic ice could expand south to southern England and that temperatures in Europe and North America will drop dramatically.
The seasons in the Amazon rainforest can be completely reversed, and temperatures will become colder in much of Asia.
The melting of Greenland's ice could release large amounts of fresh water, further accelerating the process of circulation collapse.
Sounds scary, right?
But let's understand that these extreme weather events are not isolated phenomena.
They are all part of global climate change. Global warming will not only cause "extreme heat", but will also drastically change the environment of the entire planet.
So why this seemingly contradictory phenomenon?
This is related to the climate system of the Northern Hemisphere.
The cold air of the Northern Hemisphere winter weather comes from three main sources: the polar regions, the high latitudes of the North American continent, and the high latitudes of the Asian continent.
In the middle and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, there is a westerly circulation band that surrounds the polar regions.
There are strong jet stream zones in this circulation zone, where wind speeds can reach more than 100 m/s.
When jet currents form an Arctic vortex, cold air gathers in the polar regions.
But when the jet stream is disturbed on a large scale, cold air pours southward, forming mid-latitude cold waves and winter storms.
The temperature difference between the polar regions and the tropics is the root cause of the formation of the westerly jet stream.
The greater the temperature difference, the stronger the jet stream, the easier it is for cold air to stay at high latitudes, and the less extreme cold air activity occurs in mid-latitudes.
However, global warming is changing this balance.
Global warming is uneven, with the Arctic region warming the most, a phenomenon known as "Arctic amplification".
"Arctic amplification" weakens the temperature difference between the polar regions and the tropics, making the westerly jet stream more susceptible to instability and producing stronger weather processes.
At the same time, global warming leads to an increase in water vapor in the atmosphere, and when cold and warm air masses meet, more energy is released, making the blizzard more intense.
This explains why we experience both high temperatures and extreme cold.
However, it is important to note that although strong cold spells still occur, they are of much lower duration and frequency than they were half a century ago.
It's just that we're used to warm weather, and once there's a cold spell, it feels even colder.
So, how will these extreme weather events affect our lives?
First of all, in terms of life, extremely cold weather will increase the demand for heating, leading to a significant increase in electricity consumption.
It can also become difficult to get around, and icy roads can lead to frequent accidents.
In agriculture, extreme weather can make it difficult for crops to grow, which can lead to problems with the supply of basic necessities.
How do we respond to these challenges?
As individuals, we can start by restraining our behavior to minimize greenhouse gas emissions.
For example, we can choose to use public transport and reduce the use of private cars; Use energy-efficient appliances at home to reduce unnecessary energy consumption; Try to choose locally produced food, reduce carbon emissions during transportation, etc.
But it is not enough to rely on the power of the individual.
Tackling climate change requires a global effort.
The international community should actively promote the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and carry out green development cooperation.
We need to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, which is a daunting task, but necessary to protect our planet.
As we face the future, we can't help but ask: is the trend of the global climate warming or cooling?
The answer is probably both.
The world as a whole is still warming, but some areas may be cooler due to factors such as changes in ocean currents.
The impacts of climate change are complex and may manifest differently in different regions.
For each of us, climate change is likely to affect every aspect of our daily lives.
We may need to adapt to more extreme weather and change our lifestyle and spending habits.
We may need to rethink where we live, as certain areas may become no longer habitable for humans.
Our diets may also need to change, as certain crops may not be able to grow in the new climate.
However, we should not despair about this.
Humans have great adaptability and innovation.
We can develop new technologies to combat climate change, such as more efficient renewable energy technologies, better water management systems, and crop varieties that are more tolerant of extreme weather.
We can also reduce our impact on the environment by making changes to our lifestyles, such as choosing more sustainable ways of consumption, reducing waste, etc.
The Earth's environment depends on the daily choices of each of us.
While climate change is a global problem, the key to solving it lies in everyone's actions.
Each of us can be part of the change, contributing to the creation of a more sustainable future through our choices and actions.
Information sources:
Global Network - "India continues to have high temperatures exceeding 40°C in many places, and people's lives have been seriously affected"
China News Network - "The number of high temperature days in Hangzhou this year reached 60 days, breaking the historical record"
Global Network - "US Media: Study Finds that the "Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation" may collapse from the 30s of this century
Guangming.com - "Global Warming and Extremely Cold Weather (Science and Technology Grand View)"
The Paper - "The hottest July in 175 years, will the high temperature of 50°C sweep the world?" 》
Reference News - "Expert: "Millennial Current" Weakens or Triggers Climate Catastrophe