USA TODAY: Steady, unprecedented heat waves could soon hit many parts of the planet, striking the tropics first — as early as 2020 — and much of the United States by midcentury, says a study today that’s based on models from 21 climate centers worldwide.
So in 2043, for example, Phoenix and Honolulu could see their average air temperatures shift beyond the most extreme records of the past 150 years if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current pace, says the study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. That could occur in 2047 for New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and in 2048, for Los Angeles and Denver. In other words, whatever the record warmest year was for those cities before then, every year after that point will likely be warmer.
“What’s shocking is how soon this is going to happen,” says lead author Camilo Mora,a data analyst and geography professor at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. “This is something we’re doing to ourselves,” not just to future generations, he says, adding that within 35 years, “whatever climate we were used to will be a thing of the past.”… (more)
