Open AccessResearch Spotlight: Improved model reproduces the 2003 European heat wave
Author(s) -
Schultz Colin
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2011eo150010
Subject(s) - heat wave , climatology , extreme heat , meteorology , climate model , environmental science , range (aeronautics) , extreme weather , atmospheric sciences , climate change , geography , geology , engineering , oceanography , aerospace engineering
In August 2003, record‐breaking temperatures raged across much of Europe. In France, maximum temperatures of 37°C (99°F) persisted for 9 days straight, the longest such stretch since 1873. About 40,000 deaths (14,000 in France alone) were attributed to the extreme heat and low humidity. Various climate conditions must come into alignment to produce extreme weather like the 2003 heat wave, and despite a concerted effort, forecasting models have so far been unable to accurately reproduce the event—including the modern European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ensemble modeling system for seasonal forecasts, which went into operation in 2007. ( Geophysical Research Letters , doi:10.1029/2010GL046455, 2011)