Study finds 98 per cent population in world experienced effects of global warming

A new report has shown that 98 per cent of Earth's population experienced higher temperatures from June to August. This was caused by effects of Global Warming made more than twice likely by greenhouse gases caused by human activities. The peer-reviewed research was reported by Euronews. The research was reportedly published last week.

This year, the summer in northern hemisphere was hottest on record. July was the hottest month ever-recorded and average temperatures in August were 1.5 degrees Celsius more than those in pre-industrial levels. The year was also witness to widespread wildfires especially in North America and Europe.

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Euronews reported that the study has been carried out by Climate Central, a US-based research group. The study involved a look at temnperatures in 180 countries and 22 territories. It was found that 98 per cent of the world population was exposed to high-temperatures which were made at least twice more likely by carbon dioxide emissions.

"Virtually no one on Earth escaped the influence of global warming during the past three months," said Andrew Pershing, Climate Central's vice president for science.

"In every country we could analyse, including the southern hemisphere, where this is the coolest time of year, we saw temperatures that would be difficult - and in some cases nearly impossible - without human-caused climate change," he said.

Pershing was quoted by Euronews.

Without climate change, heatwaves 'would not have occurred'

Climate Central assessed if heat events became more likely due to climate change by making comparison between observed temperature and those gerenated by computer model which remove influence of greenhouse gases.

The researchers have observed that heatwaves in North America and Europe would not have occurred had there been no climate change.

"We have looked at isolated heatwaves," said Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment.

"We have looked at isolated heatwaves," she said, as quoted by Euronews.

"They have not been made five times more likely. They have been made infinitely more likely because they would not have occurred without climate change."

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