In order to assess the risk of simultaneous climate extremes such as heatwaves and drought, Jakob Zscheischler calls for various research areas to work more closely together.
The end of the baking hot summer is a forceful reminder of what the climate could hold in store for us in the future. Between April and August of this year, rainfall in Eastern Switzerland was lower than has ever been recorded1. And during the same period, temperatures were very high.
A combination of severe drought and intense heat can be devastating, often causing forest fires such as those that tore through Greece and Sweden this year. High temperatures combined with a lack of water severely stress cereals, so they often have to be harvested before the grains are ripe. Low water levels and high water temperatures kill fish and make it difficult to cool power stations. Other compound climate extremes can cause major damage too – for example, if storm surges and heavy precipitation coincide in coastal regions, the risk of floods increases drastically.
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Image via Anthony Anex, Keystone
