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The 2003 heatwave killed
33,000 people in Europe - a taste of what is to come?
Climate change is a reality, and its catastrophic
effects are more visible than ever. Dry summers, wet winters
with heavy rains and storms, as well as flash floods will be
the European climate of the future.
The 2003 summer was the hottest summer in Europe
for the last 500 years and could be another sign that man-made
global warming is happening. The heatwave that struck Europe
killed 33,000 people and cost farmers €11 billion in crop
losses. Gigantic forest fires in the south of Europe have destroyed
large areas of land - about 5% of Portugal's surface has been
burnt down - with serious effects on the tourism sector.
According to statistics, such heatwaves would
under normal conditions occur every 450 years. Studies conducted
by insurance companies show that heat waves will become as frequent
as every 20 years by 2020. Globally, the last 10 years have
been among the hottest years since weather recording began 350
years ago.
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