A recent Johns Hopkins study revealed that the severe heat wave in the southwestern U.S. during June 2021 was exacerbated by an ongoing drought, creating a dangerous interaction between the two extreme weather events. This study is the first to measure how such events impact each other in real time, finding that the drought increased temperatures by an average of half a degree—up to four degrees in some forested areas. Researchers warn that as climate change progresses, instances of compound events like this, termed “cascades,” will become more frequent, leading to increasingly severe weather conditions. The team used climate modeling and satellite images to analyze the relationship between heat and drought, concluding that these conditions are already contributing to heightened wildfire risks. They predict that these “heat/drought/fire cascades” will likely continue to escalate in severity in the coming years.
Source link
