1. Home
  2. Update

USA: Record high temperatures far exceed record lows—a trend of the climate crisis

Source(s): Cable News Network
Upload your content

By Nash Rhodes and Brandon Miller, CNN

More than 400 locations across the United States reached record-breaking temperatures last week. During that same span, only about 100 areas saw record-breaking lows.

While this 4-1 record ratio can mainly be attributed to this week's heat wave, it doesn't stray too far from the 2-1 ratio of record highs and lows that we've seen over the past decade in the US.

[...]

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) recently conducted research into how this ratio should behave moving forward.

"We looked at a model simulation -- where we were increasing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses going off into the 21st century -- and as the climate continued to warm, the ratio continued to grow," said NCAR scientist Gerald Meehl.

Current projections place that ratio as high as 20-to-1 by 2050 and 50-to-1 by the end of the century.

[...]

Explore further

Country and region United States of America

Please note: Content is displayed as last posted by a PreventionWeb community member or editor. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of UNDRR, PreventionWeb, or its sponsors. See our terms of use