Weather havoc: Strict lockdown imposed in many countries, yet scorching heat, Delhi's hottest day in 10 years, know what is the reason

Posted on 18th Aug 2021 by rohit kumar

Many countries of the world including India had imposed strict lockdown at different times because of the increasing cases of the corona. In India, the first phase of the lockdown, which was imposed in March last year, was so strict that vehicles and public vehicles of common people were barely visible on the roads. That is, there was less use of fossil fuels. In the second wave also, different states imposed lockdowns. In such a situation, it was being speculated that some drop in temperature would be recorded in India. However, this did not happen. The heatwave continued to increase.

 

 

Monsoon arrived late and a long period of hot weather is being seen. If we look at the data of August 17, the highest temperature was recorded in Delhi on this day in 10 years. This is up to four degrees Celsius above normal. In such a situation, it is very important to know that what was the reason for the rise in temperature in the country and the world despite the low use of vehicles, closure of industries, and reduced human activities during the lockdown?

How has the Earth's temperature changed in the last two decades?

According to scientists, climate change in the last two decades is most responsible for the harsh weather. Any rise or fall in temperature is determined only based on the average of 10 years. According to statistics, 2011-20 has been the hottest decade in history. During this time the average temperature of the Earth has increased by 0.82 °C.

 

The surprising thing is that in 2011-20, the average level of heat did not increase suddenly, but during this time the record of the last decade i.e. 2001-2010 was broken. Earth's average temperature rose by about 0.62 °C in 2001–10, which was then a record for any rise in temperature in any decade.

How is the changing temperature of the earth responsible for the harsh weather?

Due to the continuous increase in global temperature, changes in weather patterns have also been recorded around the world. According to scientists, the incidence of hot waves and heavy rains may increase significantly in the coming time. There are two obvious reasons for this.

 

First- Earth's temperature is increasing rapidly and by 2030 it is projected to increase by 1.5 °C. Surface temperatures have increased rapidly since the 1970s. Due to this, cases related to running heatwaves have increased around the world.

 

In the last few years, scientists blame these heatwaves behind the incidents of forest fires from America to Turkey and Australia to Uttarakhand in India. On the other hand, due to the increase in the temperature on the earth's surface, in addition to East Asia, the temperature in the cold countries of Europe is also breaking all its previous records. In Sicily, Italy, the temperature reached 48.8 degrees just five days ago, which was the hottest day ever in the whole of Europe. Earlier in 1977, the temperature of 48 °C was recorded in Greece, Europe. Not only this, due to the delayed arrival of monsoon in many states of North-East India, a big jump in temperature was also recorded in the month of Sawan in many states.

Second- Due to the increasing temperature of the Earth, the temperature in the North and South Pole has also increased two to three times faster than the Equator. In such a situation, with the rise in the water level of the oceans, seas, and rivers, the danger of sudden floods has also arisen in many countries. Scientists with knowledge of climate change say that due to the increased temperature of the earth, conditions of heavy rains are also continuously flourishing, as warm air brings with it more moisture. That is, the rain that falls during the entire rainy season is now coming together because of the hot winds. This is causing flooding in areas where earlier normal rainfall could not have any effect on normal life.

 

Germany is at the top of the countries most affected by floods due to recent heavy rains. 180 people died here, while many are missing. On the other hand, many people died due to recent floods in China. In America too, the intensity of cyclonic storms is increasing every year. Due to this, huge destruction has been seen in the states situated along the coast like North Carolina, Hawaii, etc. In India also, cyclonic storms like Toute and Yas caused heavy destruction along the north and south coasts. Due to these rains, flood-like situations arose in many places.