{"id":3130,"date":"2022-08-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-08-03T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/03\/as-the-mercury-rises-copernicus-helps-keep-you-cool\/"},"modified":"2022-08-03T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-08-03T00:00:00","slug":"as-the-mercury-rises-copernicus-helps-keep-you-cool","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eodatahub.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/03\/as-the-mercury-rises-copernicus-helps-keep-you-cool\/","title":{"rendered":"As the mercury rises, Copernicus helps keep you cool"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the dog days of summer, and things are hot \u2013 and getting hotter.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

For much of Europe, and especially southern Europe, temperatures have been steadily increasing year after year. Not only was 2021 one of the warmest years on record, Sicily recorded what could very well be Europe\u2019s hottest temperature ever, seeing the mercury hit a scorching 48.8\u00b0C.<\/p>\n

This summer it\u2019s more of the same. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts<\/a> (ECMWF) recently reported that the global average temperature for June was about 0.31\u00baC higher than the 1991-2020 average, making it the third warmest June on record. Furthermore, Europe as a whole had its second warmest June on record, at about 1.6\u00baC above average.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t a fluke or some kind of anomaly. According to an article published in Horizon<\/a>, the EU\u2019s research and innovation magazine, temperatures have been steadily on the rise for years, the result of increasing \u2013 and largely unchecked \u2013 climate change. The annual European State of the Climate<\/a> (ESOTC) report, which provides a timely, transparent and detailed description of the evolving climate, backs this claim. This year\u2019s edition shows that, despite year-to-year variability, global temperatures have increased since the pre-industrial era, by 1.1 \u2013 1.2\u00b0C.<\/p>\n

How do we know all this?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Copernicus<\/a> \u2013 the European Earth Observation<\/a> programme.<\/p>\n

Introducing C3S<\/h3>\n

Copernicus, or more specifically the Copernicus Climate Change Service<\/a> (C3S), supports society, climate researchers and decision makers by providing authoritative information about the past, present and future climate in Europe and the rest of the world. As with other Copernicus services<\/a>, CS3 processes and analyses a wealth of satellite and in situ data, transforming it into value-added information.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Datasets dating back years, even decades, can be compared and searched to monitor changes, while patterns can be examined and used to build, for example, better forecasting models. Maps are created from Copernicus imagery, from which features and anomalies can be identified and statistical information extracted.<\/p>\n

While all this information is essential to helping users meet their climate goals, it is particularly useful to the EU\u2019s climate adaptation and mitigation policies \u2013 including those pertaining to extreme heatwaves.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Heatwaves are already responsible for a considerable number of deaths, a trend that is unfortunately expected to increase as temperatures continue to go up. \u201cAs average temperatures warm, extreme temperatures will also become warmer, leading to more frequent and warmer heatwaves,\u201d Rachel White, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, told Horizon. \u201cThis is particularly concerning in regions that already experience high temperatures, such as southern Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to White, the key to saving lives is the use of accurate and reliable weather prediction models that go well beyond standard weekly forecasts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here too, C3S can help.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Preparing for a hotter tomorrow\u00a0<\/h3>\n

C3S provides users with quality-controlled data about the impact climate change will have on heatwave frequency and severity in the decades to come. \u201cWhen the past is no longer a good predictor for the climate risks we face, having data about the future is key to preparing for the conditions that lie ahead, whether that future be days, months or even years ahead,\u201d says C3S Director Carlo Buontempo.<\/p>\n

As Buontempo explains, because C3S data focuses on climate, as opposed to weather, it is particularly useful for helping local authorities be more proactive \u2013 and less reactive \u2013 to climate-related risks. For example, today, national and local authorities depend on C3S\u2019s heat stress predictions to implement heat-related action plans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSince the shocking death toll of the 2003 heatwave in southern Europe, many European countries have developed action plans that can be triggered when specific heat stress conditions are forecasted,\u201d notes Buontempo.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These action plans can include things as simple as limiting outside activities and drinking plenty of fluids to actively monitoring at-risk populations. In the near future, city planners could use this same C3S data to reconsider the layout of cities and buildings and design green spaces that help mitigate heat-related risks to make cities more pleasant to live in \u2013 even in a hotter world.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only does C3S data provide us with a better understanding of what the summer of the future may look like, it also gives us the opportunity to start preparing for that future today,\u201d concludes Buontempo.<\/p>\n

Media note: <\/strong>This feature can be republished without charge provided the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) is acknowledged as the source at the top or the bottom of the story. You must request permission before you use any of the photographs on the site. If you republish, we would be grateful if you could link back to the EUSPA website (http:\/\/www.euspa.europa.eu<\/a><\/span>)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

EU Agency for the Space ProgrammeRead More<\/a> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the dog days of summer, and things are hot \u2013 and getting hotter.\u00a0 For much of Europe, and especially southern Europe, temperatures have been steadily increasing year after year. Not only was 2021 one of the warmest years on record, Sicily recorded what could very well be Europe\u2019s hottest temperature ever, seeing the mercury…
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