World Earth Day, celebrated annually on April 22, seeks to increase public consciousness surrounding environmental concerns and promote the preservation of our plants. In 2024, let’s examine how rising temperatures have impacted our lives on Earth during the last year.
UAE submerged under historic rainfall
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) recorded the heaviest rain ever after a severe thunderstorm hit the country last week, with Dubai experiencing its heaviest downpour totalling about 142 millimetres. This amount of rain is comparable to what the desert city typically receives over a span of one and a half years.
The primary cause of the heavy rains was a storm system passing through the Arabian Peninsula, but experts suggest that the soaring temperature could have also exaggerated the event.
Increasing temperature means that the atmosphere can hold more moisture, which can increase the atmosphere’s moisture retention capacity, leading to increased precipitation and making storms more dangerous.
Agriculture in Europe is taking a hit due to rising temperatures
Worsening extreme temperatures are affecting agriculture in developed countries such as Europe, as farmers are experiencing a fall in production of core crops such as olive, wheat, and barley, among others.
EU’s olive oil production fell to a record low in the 12 months ending June 2023, while Spain saw the lowest production of some of its core crops in over a decade plagued by drought.
Heavy rain in other parts, however, delayed harvest and left wheat crops soaked in France, Germany and Poland.
Italian farmers have warned against hot winters and drought destroying crops this year, starting with the world experiencing its hottest January on record.
Soaring temperature burning forest in India
Above-normal temperatures, clear skies, and calm winds during the summer weeks have spiked forest fire incidents in southern regions of India.
Forest fires were reported in the Coonoor forest range in Niligiri district of Tamil Nadu last month.
The incidents are concerning as the southern region covered with evergreen vegetation is less prone to forest fire than northeast Indian states like Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand.
The main reason for the surge is the unusually high temperatures in southern parts of the country during the year, with February hitting a record high for the south, the hottest month since 1901.
Amazon sees record-breaking drought
With a part of negro river in the Amazon rainforest shrinking to its lowest levels and the temperature in Lake Tefe reaching record highs, an unprecedented drought gripped the Amazon rainforest last year.
Some scientists worry that this event signals that the world’s most extensive forest is approaching a point of no return.
The main contributor to the drought has been the cyclical El Nino weather pattern, further amplified by climate change and deforestation in the region.
