Scientists have for the first time given climate change a name as the world struggles to cope with its effects and heatwaves wreak havoc in many nations, causing wildfires, river drying, and unpredictable droughts. The Spanish heatwave has been given the moniker Joe, much like cyclones do.
The name was given to a prototype initiative by proMETEO that was formally launched a few months ago to identify heatwaves as they become more powerful and common throughout the world. It ties meteorological forecasts to health implications.
Warm summer combined with a hot air front from North Africa have sent temperatures soaring across Spain in July this year, with the highest recorded temperature climbing up to 43 degrees Celcius near Seville in southern Spain and in Badajoz, towards the west of the country.
Under the pilot study that has been started to assess the viability of establishing a warning system for one year to inform of the onset of a heat wave and its potential health implications, scientists have christened this heat wave ‘Joe.’ ‘Citizens will be able to take appropriate measures to protect themselves from high heat by categorising heat waves according to their level of impact on health and designating those that may pose a larger risk,’ proMETEO Sevilla claims on its website.
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