"The era of global warming has ended, and the era of global boiling has arrived." This was declared by United Nations (UN) Secretary-General  António Guterres on July 27 at UN headquarters in New York City, US.

Following the unprecedented heavy rainfall across South Korea this year, extreme weather due to abnormal climates has appeared worldwide. In fact, the global average temperature in July was about 1.5℃ higher than pre-industrial levels. This year, such climate changes have resulted in natural and human losses on a worldwide scale.

The US suffered a severe heatwave this summer. According to CNN, on July 27, Phoenix, Arizona, recorded a continuous high temperature of 43℃ from June 30 to July 18. Even at night, temperatures remained above 32℃, causing cacti in a botanical garden in Phoenix to wither and die. Not only were there natural disasters, but also significant human casualties. Dr. Kevin Foster (Head, Arizona Burn Center) stated that one-third of the patients who visited the center had suffered burns from falling to the ground. This is because the ongoing heatwave in Phoenix caused the asphalt to absorb sunlight, raising its temperature to 82℃ on clear afternoons. People can get third-degree burns from standing on the pavement for 20 minutes.

■Terrible Damage from Wildfires, Floods and Heatwaves

This summer, there was severe wildfire damage in Greece, Canada, and Hawaii in the US. In Greece, with temperatures approaching 40℃, a wildfire broke out in the southern part of the island of Rhodes on July 18. According to the BBC report on July 27, over 20,000 residents and tourists were evacuated, marking the largest wildfire evacuation in Greek history. Wildfires in Canada were also grave. As of June, around 3.8 million hectares of land in Canada had already been scorched. This area is over one-third of South Korea's territory (100,000km²). The province of Quebec, located in eastern Canada, was hit hardest by wildfires. As flames spread, over 14,000 residents evacuated from northern Quebec.

Especially in Hawaii, human casualties were significant. A wildfire on Maui Island on August 8 was evaluated as the worst in 105 years. As of August 16, the death toll reached 110. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimated that the number of missing persons due to wildfires could be between 1,100 and 1,300, suggesting that the death toll might increase further. Governor of Hawaii, Josh Green, stated on August 18 that over 2,700 buildings were destroyed in the wildfire, causing damages estimated at around six billion dollars.

In China's southeastern region, heavy rain from Typhoon Doksuri occurred from July 29 to August 1, lasting four days. In particular, Beijing experienced its heaviest rainfall in 140 years. The highest daily rainfall in Beijing was 580mm, exceeding the city's annual average rainfall of 500mm. In just one day, as much rain fell as generally over a year. According to CCTV (China Central Television), approximately 127,000 people were evacuated due to the torrential rain. Power outages occurred as transmission lines were brought down by gusts of up to 150km/h. The Beijing floods claimed the lives of 20 people and left 30 others missing.

Flood damage also occurred in Hebei Province near Beijing. CNN reported on August 5 that around 1.5 million people evacuated, and over 2.2 million people were affected by flooding in Hebei Province. The local government estimated that the damage within China amounted to about 2.2 billion dollars. In an interview with CNN on August 1, a Beijing traveler stated, "Now, the rain is intensifying. Signs of landslides are seen ahead."

■The Earth is Boiling

South Korea is not exempt from these phenomena. In July, heavy rainfall hit the country. Gwangju recorded a daily deluge of 283mm, twice as much as the average June rainfall. In Chungcheongbuk-do, the area with the heaviest rainfall, an average of 392.1mm of rain was recorded from July 13 to 19. This is 1.3 times more than the national average rainfall of 284.1mm during the monsoon season 2022. The impact was severe, with around 50 missing or deceased individuals and damages exceeding 200 billion won in only Chungcheongbuk-do.

After the heavy rains subsided, an unprecedented heatwave followed. This year, the number of days with heatwaves was 13.2 days, an increase of 1.2 times compared to the previous year. The number of heat-related illnesses was 2,484 cases, 1.7 times more than last year.

Experts attribute the severe heatwaves, wildfires, and heavy rainfall to the "El Niño." El Niño is a phenomenon where sea surface temperatures rise by about 0.5℃ to 1.0℃ in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It occurs every 2 to 7 years and lasts 9 to 12 months. Ha Kyung-Ja (Prof. of Atmospheric Sciences, PNU) explained, "This year, the El Niño has activated high-pressure systems near the western Pacific, making the North Pacific high-pressure system stronger and affecting South Korea." In fact, on July 5, the combination of El Niño and continuous carbon dioxide emissions led to the highest global average temperature recorded since satellite observations began. Prof. Ha said, "With warmer weather and frequent heatwaves, the soil on land can dry out, increasing the likelihood of wildfires."

The other cause of such abnormal climates is global warming. Global warming is the Earth's temperature rising excessively due to greenhouse gas emissions, causing a temperature increase of 1.1℃ since the industrial era. Prof. Ha explained that global warming is also linked to problems like heavy rainfall. Global warming causes more water vapor to evaporate and be transported, increasing the likelihood of heavy rain. The UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) stated in the “United in Science 2022” that human-induced global warming continues to increase the risk of heavy rainfall occurring intensely and rapidly.

Prof. Ha emphasized, "Rapid climate change can lead to extreme climate risks. We must make efforts to slow down the rate of greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate these risks by utilizing various predictive information."

Reporter Ha Chae-Won

Translated by Ha Chae-Won