Earth’s “snow point” record was broken in July, with climate change the obvious culprit

Science – Early morning dew-drenched grass is as poetic as it is scientific. July 2024 beat the absolute record “Snow Point” On Earth, it is a key indicator for meteorologists and climatologists to understand the health of the blue planet.

Last month, the “Snow Point” According to data from the European Center for Medium-Term Forecasts, the world has exceeded the monthly average of 11.7 degrees, this Wednesday, August 7, meteorologists and meteorologists have shared information on social networks for the general public, the opinion is very ambiguous.

Essential weather tool

In simple terms, the “Snow Point” It is the temperature at which water vapor in the air condenses into water droplets. That’s why your cold glass leaks when you get out of a hot shower.

It is one of the indicators taken into account to measure air humidity, not trivial for meteorologists. “ The greater the difference between the temperature and the dew point, the drier the air. The smaller the space, the more humid the air. That is why, when it rains, the temperature and dew points show almost identical values. Forecaster Frédéric Long at Météo-France explains.

taken into account during heat waves

From a meteorological perspective, the indicator is studied during heat waves. “Because the higher the humidity in the air, the more difficult the human body can withstand the temperature”Frédéric Long continues. “To cool down when it’s hot, we sweat. Evaporation of sweat from the skin cools us down. However, if the air is too hot and humid, the water doesn’t evaporate and the human body struggles to cool down.”Camille Risi, a researcher at the CNRS and the Dynamic Meteorological Laboratory, adds.

Cause, same as indicator “wet bulb”The “Snow Point” is public health data. “ The human body cannot survive more than a few hours in humid temperatures above 35 degrees, which is a biological limit., Camille emphasizes Risi on this point. In France, this threshold is rarely crossed during heat waves, but in India or Pakistan, humidity combined with heat has already caused deaths.

out of the water cycle

Nothing will be better with climate change. An increase in temperature actually leads to an increase “Snow Point” Hence the water vapor in the atmosphere. With continuity, cascading consequences not only for humans, but for the planet and its functioning.

Main problem: As the atmosphere has more water vapor, the state has less water “Liquid” available on earth. Due to this, the soil and ground water level also decreases. Water in the state “Solid” And becoming rarer, explains “Lack of Snow in Winter”, Adds forecaster François Joppard to X.

An increase in the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere also increases the intensity of extreme rain events. In fact, for every additional degree of warming, the atmosphere can hold 7% more water vapor, so more rain falls during storms and thunderstorms. All these negative effects show that when a climate indicator increases, it is not a good sign. Especially when it affects our blue planet’s vital water cycle.

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