For the first time, the UK Met Office has issued the Red alert warning of health risks due to an extreme heatwave predicted for the week of July 18/19. This is the first time that temperatures above 40°C (104°F) have been predicted in the United Kingdom, with the previous highest temperature recorded in 2019 at 38.7°C (104°F). The probability of a heatwave exceeding 40°C in the UK is estimated to increase tenfold under anthropogenic climate change, and has risen sharply in recent years.

The EU has also issued a warning that nearly half of the EU and the UK are at risk of drought. The lack of rainfall has resulted in a significant reduction in soil moisture, which not only affects vegetation, but also raises concerns about the impact on crop production through heat and water stress.　

In late June, a heat wave was observed in Japan. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced that this June was the third hottest on record and that sea ice in Antarctica was at its lowest level.

Extreme weather events such as heat waves affect agricultural production in the world's breadbasket regions, and their effects are reflected in prices through supply-demand imbalances, supply disruptions, and other shocks, sometimes causing food crisis concerns. A recent paper published in One Earth journal argued that factors such as extreme weather, COVID-19, and war are interconnected and can have compounding effects, and that there is a need for research that takes a comprehensive view of various extreme events. Systematic understanding of the interdependence of the food system, adequate preparation for all risks and their spillover effects through information gathering, and correcting inefficiencies and imbalances in trade are expected to contribute to the resilience of the food system, if only in a small way.

Reference

Zia Mehrabi et al. 2002. Research priorities for global food security under extreme events. One Earth. https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2590-3322%2822%2900329-3　

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki (Director, Information Program)