'Extremes have reached a new level': why global heatwaves last longer and Ireland is hotter and wetter

Much of southern Europe is sweltering in an oppressive heatwave with temperatures routinely exceeding 40 degrees. There are indications some places are probably in the throes of a merciless push towards an unprecedented 50 degrees that is close to the limits of human survival - If not tomorrow, next month or next year and certainly before 2030. The climate disturbance fuelled by carbon emissions extends throughout Europe, as indicated by extreme heat in Spain triggering flash floods; tropical nights in Andorra high in the Pyrenees; and wildfires in mountainy Switzerland. This is uncharted territory for the Continent, which is warming…