17 Jul 2023

Europe's heatwave, what does it mean for us down under?

From Afternoons, 1:25 pm on 17 July 2023

Europe is bracing for the second heat storm in a week with possible record breaking temperatures above 48.8 degrees celcius. The highest ever daily temperatures globally were recorded earlier this month.

Leading climate scientist Dr Kevin Trenberth says temperatures don't increase steadily upwards, but rise like a staircase with the biggest jumps near the end of an El Niño event.

Dr Trenberth is a Distinguished Scholar at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, and an affiliate faculty at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. He speaks to Jesse.

A drone view of the River Po, near Bergantino, Italy, on July 15, 2022. -Italy has declared a state of emergency in five northern regions amid the worst drought in 70 years.

Photo: AFP