Five years ago today, August 11 2021, what was the hottest day in Europe (so far)
The maps show temperatures in southern parts of Portugal could reach a staggering 50C on July 28 – which would be the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe. The current European temperature record is 48.8C, registered near the city of Syracuse in Sicily on August 11, 2021. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/weather-heatwave-spain-portugal-europe-37451862
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 417ppm. As of 2026, when this post was published, it is 430ppm. This matters because the more carbon dioxide in the air, the more heat gets trapped. The more heat, the more extreme weather events. You can make it more complicated than that if you want, but really, it’s not. Fwiw, I have a tattoo of the Keeling Curve on my left forearm.
The broader context was that with the coming of the industrial revolution we added to the existing issue of deforestation with a NEW way of adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. GO US, the planet trashing hairless murder apes.
What I think we can learn from this is that we have little or no interest in our own futures. We seem to be operating on the assumption that a Deus or a Machina will descend to save us.
What happened next. We kept adding 40 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, with entirely predictable consequences.
xxx
On this topic, you might like these other posts on All Our Yesterdays
Xx
References
xx
You can see the chronological list of All Our Yesterdays “on this day” posts here.
What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.
If you want to get involved, let me know.
If you want to invite me on your podcast, that would boost my ego and probably improve the currently pitiful hit-rate on this site (the two are not-unrelated).
Also on this day:
August 11, 2005 – Bob Brown in the Senate
August 11, 2005 – Greenpeace protest Hazelwood power station
August 11, 2009 – Kevin Rudd is actually shut up (by a power cut)