Why Climate Change Wasn’t Behind Paris’s Record-High Temperature

Fine summer weather [image credit: BBC]

Heatwaves happen. But if one dares to exceed a previously recorded temperature for the time of year, it must somehow be your fault. Natural variation isn’t even considered, because it would weaken the warmist narrative.

It’s summer, temperatures are hot － sometimes record hot － and as usual, climate alarmism reaches record highs as climate activists have a field day with fearmongering rather than with facts and data, writes Chris Martz @ Climate Change Dispatch.

Every week, various weather events end up getting caught in the spokes of the wheel of climate; it’s an endless cycle. Rinse, wash, repeat.

This time, it’s the [second] European heatwave this summer.

A Bit of Historical Perspective

While countries like the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium have recorded their hottest temperatures on record this week, Paris’s record high of 108.7°F (42.6°C) on Thursday, July 25, made international headlines and consequently sparked climate insanity.

The graph below (Figure 1) shows the maximum temperature in Paris, France for each year since 1900. As indicated by the red trendline, there has been a noticeable increase in the annual maximum temperature in Paris over the long run, however, the trend is not alarming.

Paris’s previous hottest temperature record stood for nearly 72 years.

On July 28, 1947, the city reached 104.7°F (40.4°C).³ Paris’s high of 108.7°F (42.6°C) on Thursday broke the old record by 4°F (2.2°C), an incredible feat by any stretch of the imagination.

To break an all-time temperature record by 4°F in summer, let alone tie it, is extremely difficult to do, even with global warming.

Figure 1. Paris, France annual maximum temperature since 1900.

The 1947 heatwave was an incredible one in Europe and it’s forever stitched in the memories of elders.

In Paris, the heatwave lasted for 12 days (July 22 through August 2) with highs consistently at or above 90°F (32.2°C).³ Two days were at or above 100°F (37.8°C), and four were at or above 95°F (35°C).³

What really stuck out to me when comparing maximum temperatures this summer with 1947 is that maximum temperatures seem to trace those of 1947 (Figure 2). It’s quite interesting and odd.

Figure 2. Paris, France daily maximum temperature for the summer of 1947 and 2019.

Is Climate Change to Blame?

Like many scientists, I agree that climate change － both natural fluctuations or man-made forcings like land use and urbanization － should cause weather patterns and the intensity and/or frequency of extreme weather or weather-related events to change.

It’s indeed possible that the warmer atmosphere today, as compared to the 1980s, may have made this heatwave slightly more intense. However, nobody knows for sure because heatwaves have always occurred; some are just worse than others. It’s summer.

While this heatwave is the latest poster child for the planet’s “ecological breakdown,” there is a natural explanation for this heatwave, as with all other weather events.

There has been a persistent weather pattern that’s causing this bake-fest. A large area of high pressure is stationed over Europe and an area of low pressure is situated off of the coast of Ireland.

The wind flow around these pressure centers is drawing in air from the south, which is blowing hot Saharan air into Europe (see Figure 3).

This natural process occurs with or without 415 parts per million (ppm) or 0.04% of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Full article here (includes all graphics, references etc.).