Last week’s heatwaves in southern Europe would have been “virtually impossible” without humans altering the climate, reports the BBC, quoting model-produced work rushed to press by World Weather Attribution (WWA). Humans caused the spell of Mediterranean summer heat to be 2.5°C higher, it was said. This latest study confirms what we knew before, says frequent BBC contributor and WWA founder Dr. Friederike Otto. More to the point, last week’s coverage of these heatwaves confirmed what we knew before – the BBC will pull out all the stops to promote weather fear in the cause of the collectivist Net Zero project.
On Tuesday July 18th the BBC reported on its rolling news feed that the island of Sardinia was expected to see a high of 46°C in the afternoon “and there are warnings that extreme heat could continue for a further 10 days”.
Time and Date compiles comprehensive records of past temperatures, an increasingly useful tool for checking up on ‘World on Fire’ fantasists. The graph above shows the temperature in Sardinia peaking at 40°C on July 18th and then steadily falling during the week to the lower 30s.
Also on July 18th the BBC reported that the temperature in Rome could reach 40°C and remain above that level for 15 days. Over to Time and Date again.
Here we see the temperature did briefly touch 40°C in the midday sun, but then, like Sardinia, promptly fell away for the rest of the week.
At this point, the European Space Agency entered the scare-fest and the BBC duly reported its view that Sardinia and Sicily were expected to hit a high of 48°C. As I noted on Tuesday, this fanciful prediction came from a press release issued by the European Space Agency, where it started using measurements from the ground rather than the conventional air temperature.
No comment is required, although at this point the arrival of the Monty Python Colonel marching onto the set declaring, “stop it, this sketch is getting silly. Badly written and too silly”, might be necessary.
But before the Colonel shuts us down, let us consider the plight of Justin Rowlatt, the BBC’s green activist-in-chief who was airlifted last week into heat-torn Alicante. On the southern Spanish frontline, he reported on July 18th that the heat has been “relentless” and continued day and night. It helps explain why these periods of extreme heat “can impose such a burden on people’s health”, he observed. Rising at 6:30am to do his first broadcast, he reported it was 27°C.
Alas, for our intrepid William Boot, it only briefly touched 33°C that day, and by the weekend the temperature in Alicante was struggling to stay in the 30s.
But for the BBC, it’s job well done. The mainstream media headlines screamed on cue about imminent Thermogeddon. Writing in the Daily Telegraph this Tuesday, Suzanne Moore said the “world is on fire – and we can’t ignore it any longer”. Arsonists took the opportunity to light fires on the Greek island of Rhodes, but to Moore, observing a hasty retreat by holiday makers, “this is what climate refugees look like”. BBC Dragon’s Den celeb Deborah Meaden noted that arson ”might” have been responsible, but then took the opportunity to widen the debate by claiming – without a shred of proof – “we are about to see the first countries abandoned due to rising sea levels”.
It "might" be arson that started it and wildfires happen all the time but this is not quite the slam dunk you think it is. Unusually high temperatures for prolonged periods are what is fanning it. We are about to see the first countries abandoned due to rising sea levels..you… https://t.co/laiHTvgr0B
— Deborah Meaden(@DeborahMeaden) July 23, 2023
Meanwhile, the World Weather Attribution operation, partly funded by green billionaire investor Jeremy Grantham, adds to the mix with its modelled guesses based on imaginary climates with and without human-produced carbon dioxide. As we have noted in past articles, attribution studies is a growing branch of climate alarmism, but it fails the bedrock science falsification principle outlined by the science philosopher Karl Popper. Former IPCC author and economics professor Roger Pielke Jr. is a fierce critic, noting that he can think of no other area of research “where the relaxing of rigour and standards has been encouraged by research in order to generate claims more friendly to headlines, political advocacy and even lawsuits”.
Pielke suggests that the rise of individual event attribution studies coincides with frustration that the IPCC has not “definitively concluded” that many types of extreme weather have become commonplace. In his view, they offer “comfort and support” to those focused on climate advocacy.
Undoubtedly WWA leads the way in providing simple, press-ready, clickbait material. Its latest press release on the European heatwaves notes that it uses “published peer-reviewed” methods, and backing this up there is a link to Philip et al. But it might be more accurate to describe this 2020 paper as ‘mates’ helpful suggestions’. One of the named authors, for instance is none other than Friederike Otto. Another author was Julie Arrighi from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, a person identified by the BBC as one of the authors of the latest WWA report. Helpful suggestions include the advice that communicating only a lower bound, because it is mathematically better defined in many cases, “is not advisable”. Furthermore, “quoting only the lower bound de-emphasises the most likely result and therefore communicates too conservative an estimate”. We can’t be having well-defined, conservative estimates now, can we.
Chris Morrison is the Daily Sceptic’s Environment Editor.
Stop Press: The Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) has called on Reuters to withdraw or correct its “misleading” fact check of the Daily Sceptic‘s recent article ‘Climate Crisis Shock: No Change in Average U.K. Temperatures for More Than Two Decades‘, which relied on analysis from the GWPF by Paul Homewood. Homewood says: “If U.K. temperatures in the last 20 years were increasing as rapidly as the Met Office suggests, it should be obvious from its own data. Yet according to the Met Office’s State of U.K. Climate 2022 report, published today, U.K. temperature between 1998 and 2007 averaged 9.35°C, compared to 9.44°C between 2013 and 2022, a statistically insignificant change.”
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The population us being primed to see and feel high temperatures just as it was primed to see piles of covid corpses.
Most people I speak to mindlessly yap about high temperatures and look at me very confused when I suggest it’s not true. Basically like telling people there were few deaths from covid. They think you’re mad and weird.
I think it fair to say that a lot more people are wise to Climate lies than they were at this point in Covid. That said, lots of sheep still trapped in the narrative.
I would love to see and feel a high temperature at the moment – 15 degrees and raining here in Gloucestershire. I notice headlines keep popping up on my computer about ‘when the 40 degree heatwave will hit the UK’. Fat chance.
People who have spent their entire lives trusting the BBC find it incomprehensible that they could be lying. Why don’t people think for themselves?
What really annoys me is I have enough problems of my own to sort out without people wailing around me about the end being nigh and that I should be very worried. Sorry, I am reserving my worry for use closer to home!
“Sorry, I am reserving my worry for use closer to home!”
No need to be sorry T o b.
Those headlines that keep popping up may well use phrases like “40 degree heatwave”, but all that means is the vague possibility that the mercury might just about peak at 40 for a brief moment then reduce for the rest of of the heatwave. And anyway, for people who have real things to worry about, it’s quite an insult!
I had exactly that experience the other day when I said the European hot weather was being exaggerated.. the woman serving in the shop closed me down toute-suite with “it is true I’ve seen people interviewed on television”.. then proceeded to look very smug..
‘It’s true ‘cos it was on the telly.’ A well-washed brain indeed.
Absolutely.. well-washed and then some..
When I’ve mentioned the tornado jet cause of last year’s 30 seconds of 40 degrees to people they’ve gone all startled-rabbit-in-the-headlights, as though the actual reason simply can’t penetrate the cognitive dissonance reverberating between their propagandised indoctrination and the several layers of clothing they’re currently wearing in this ‘hottest ever’ year. I despair.
I also wonder if this ‘hottest ever year’ will produce a bitterly cold winter in the UK. In some ways I hope it does (although it sounds selfish). A few prolonged power cuts due to cold, still, cloudy conditions, and people finding the limitations of air source heat pumps might wake some people up, especially if they can’t charge their ev’s either.
I understand you completely. I spent the entire insane corona years hoping for economic collapse.
Fear mongering as the casus belli for the next LD.
I heard on classical fm that 1) man is responsible for soaring temps, confirmed by unnamed ‘experts’, as I sat in an office, in July, 17C and raining oustide;
and 2) UK will see 40C temps in the ‘future’ on a ‘regular’ basis – say the unknown ‘experts’
There is no science to any of this – but I know that half the sheeple will be shatting their diapers and believing the totalitarian propaganda.
This autumn get ready for a new scariant and viral wave of some sort….with end of the world attached to the ‘expert’ testimony.
Jeremy Grantham and Dale Vince are just two of the most obviously malicious and venal mega-liar super rich in the UK.
Then there is Charles III, with a different level of power, assiduously lying but likely believing his lies.
Then there are the mass of political, academic and media liars thirsting for wealth and power, control, over ordinary people.
Most people reject habitual liars but, in the case of “Climate” and it’s evil bastard offspring “Covid”, the enemy has been lying so long and with such resources that up until now they have held sway. Especially as anything “sciency” leads to glassy eyed awe.
Obviously the truth eventually will out. But we have a very long and very rocky road before we arrive there.
I just hope I survive to see some of these swine properly held to account.
But his (Charles) plants tell him it is true.
Give me dandelion to talk to any day over HRH..
A while ago I linked this Crown Estate site
https://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/en-gb/what-we-do/asset-map/#tab-2
to a comment along the lines of – no wonder Charles is in favour of Offshore wind, the firm is coining it. I was told the profits are remitted to the Treasury. I should have asked, how much?
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cut the wind farm profits used to finance King Charles III’s household, directing the funds instead to boost the UK’s public finances.
The sovereign grant — used to fund the royal family — will be frozen at £86.3 million ($111 million) in the 2024-25 tax year, the Treasury said in a statement on Thursday. That’s despite a 41% jump in profits at the Crown Estate linked to income from new leases for six offshore wind farms. The estate manages much of the UK seabed on behalf of the monarchy. The Treasury said it’s slashing in half the proportion of the Crown Estate’s profits that will be directed to the monarchy. The reduction to 12% from 25% will give the government an extra £24 million in 2024/2025, and £130 million in the two subsequent years, it said.
Still coining it.
(Paywalled https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-20/sunak-takes-wind-farm-profits-from-king-charles-to-fund-services?in_source=embedded-checkout-banner&leadSource=uverify%20wall )
Surely Chris the cause of these fires is more to do with land management, drought and arson than a heat wave.
Sure.. management plays a part Bill, but I bet the majority are arson, or those sneaky so&so’s DEW’s (directed energy weapons) from up on high.
It was DEW’s responsible for the majority of Californian fires. The incineration of the buildings had to be seen to be believed.. even glass and porcelain toilets were totally destroyed..
I agree, Bill. I lived in Portugal for a number of years until recently and we had many fires, one of which tore through my land. In most cases, it was down to a combination of monoculture (vast tracts of dense eucalyptus forest), the dry undergrowth which is not being cleared because there are fewer people working on the land these days, hot weather (it’s southern Europe) and arson. Once land is burned, it can either bought up cheap and either be re-designated or allowed to grow another cash crop of eucalyptus. Wood pulping for toilet paper is a huge industry for Portugal. Most of our toilet paper probably comes from there in fact.
There are only two sources of ignition available: Lightning ground strikes and man. Thigs do not catch fire even at 60C however dry, it takes ignition at several hundred degrees. If a man leaves a suitably shaped glass bottle part which happens to focus the sun then it may be delayed man ignition, but it is still man! Just to be clear man as a specis not sex!
Watching F1 racing is quite instructive because they often highlight the extreme difference between air temperatures and those of the track aka ground.
I expect weather driven fear-porn from the BBC and Sky, which is why I never watch ’em. However, GB News were at the same game this morning regarding the Greece fires. Wall-to-wall computer modelling guff predicting that 40 degree temperature ‘MAY’ become a feature of UK weather by 2060. Oh really? And no mention of the part played by arsonists setting the fires, despite televised video evidence backing up the fact. Shameful reporting!
..unfortunately I think the ‘science of modelling’ is one of the big parts of the scam, that people were naturalised to during Convid.
We will see a lot more of it..let’s face it, it’s good for the ‘experts’, as they can make any old crap up.. and present it in a ‘model’…..and as with everything, no one is ever held to account for the fact that they haven’t got anything right yet!!?
40C temps for the UK..
hahaha.. say that again !!!!!
On sky I saw a segment about the heat in Spain..the ticker-tape underneath was talking about 40+ temperatures, and Armageddon…..but in the actual video you could clearly see 38 on one of those temperature clocks they often have outside Pharmacies….I wonder how many other people noticed? LOL!
When they start with A.I we’ve got no chance!?
Yes.. I saw that on a Telegram channel.. as bold as brass.. you couldn’t miss it..
“BBC Dragon’s Den celeb Deborah Meaden” As always the virtue signalling Ukraine flag in the profile tells its own story.
And I wonder which countries are being ‘abandoned’ due to climate change?!
Ukraine is undergoing a planned genocide to prepare for its new occupants.
Pushing thousands of young men into a meat grinder is not the tactics of modern warfare, there’s no need for it, but its being ordered day after day. Reminiscent of WW1 when Britain lost the flower of its manhood to exactly the same tactics.
Perhaps the downvoter shuold phuque oph to Ukraine and dye for their cause..
I hear that a Senior BBC Climate Change Disinformation journalist contacted Robin Monotti to say that he will debunk that extreme temperatures across Europe were somehow ‘faked’. This was in answer to Robin’s Tweets showing that there is no cataclysmic heatwave going on, just a hot spell. The fact that the BBC have a Climate Change Disinformation journalist, and a senior one at that, shows just how committed they are to spread the fear. Most people coming back from holiday in Europe to escape our current wash-out, report nice hot weather.
I wish the phantom downticker would explain their objection. It is really quite brainless.
You need to pay to comment but not to tick.
When I first came here I used to comment without paying, although I do pay now. The requirement was then to be logged in, which as far as I am aware is still free.
Ah, he/she was joined by other brainless ones.
The climate is changing but it’s mainly through entirely natural causes. We’re still technically coming out of the last Little Ice Age. If humans are in any way responsible for weather changes it’s due to out of control population growth, the resulting construction of concrete heat trapping megacities and the resulting slashing and burning of cooling forests.
It’s got NOTHING to do with beneficial CO2 or cow burps. But, our money is being chucked at the CO2 Net Zero Holy Grail of the Climate Zealots, where it will be utterly wasted, gone forever, our futures bolloxed up by an utterly false notion.
The BBC Propaganda Ministry of CO2 linked Climate Alarmism makes me want to vomit.
“Last week’s heatwaves in southern Europe would have been “virtually impossible” without humans altering the climate, “
Nothing to do with the ongoing recovery from an Ice Age 12 000 years ago, and the end of a mini-Ice Age 170 years before which temperatures were higher than now?
I get the impression that as with Covid we are continuously on the back foot.
Hysterical climate reporting without balance and without debate is rife.
There must be a way to turn the tables? Or are people simply loving all this doom and gloom stuff?
I checked temps for Sardinia over that period on TimeandDate and the peaks were 43C on 19th, 44C on 24th, not far off what was prognosticated. Have they retrospectively altered things or has the writer of this made a mistake or cherry-picked?
Why was my last comment removed re the top temp in Sardinia being 44C not 40C as shown on that site? 19th shows as 43C. Has it been tampered with?
https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/@8410803/historic
Oops! Had comments sorted by ‘oldest’, my bad
BBC (and SKY) newsreaders and reporters are visibly drooling over wildfires. All their Christmases have come at once. They are quivering with excitement and have this lovely warm glow inside that the world is “boiling” just like they knew it would all along.
radio news said ‘ extreme’ weather and is going up to 96 fahrenheit today 20 years ago it was 104 was over 100 Fahrenheit for a few days and no constant warning about the climate or dangerous heat.just called it a heat wave . people are crazy, aside from us of course
Great article. The pillars supporting the net zero edifice are crumbling
https://davidturver.substack.com/p/pillars-supporting-net-zero-crumbling