Heatwaves caused by fall in pollution: UK Met Office concludes cleaner skies since the 1980s allow more of the Sun’s heat to reach Earth’s surface
By Admin
July 23, 2026
7:42 am
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/07/22/heatwaves-caused-by-fall-in-pollution/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=emailBy Sarah Knapton – Science Editor
Excerpt:
Britain’s scorching heatwaves are being driven by cleaner skies after pollution was stripped from the atmosphere, new research suggests.
Temperatures in Europe have warmed twice as much as the rest of the world since the 1980s, figures show, with the continent now 2.3C warmer than it was in the pre-industrial era. The global average is 1.3C.
The steep temperature rise in western Europe has outstripped expectations and has left experts puzzled as to their cause and concerned about the increase in deadly heatwaves.
Now Spanish researchers and the Met Office have concluded that most of the extra heat experienced in Britain and Europe is linked to the fall in particle emissions in recent decades.
The signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987, which was championed by Margaret Thatcher, was designed to protect the Earth’s ozone layer and led to a general reduction in aerosols and particulates being emitted into the atmosphere.
Scientists now believe the reduction in some pollutants allows more of the sun’s heat to reach the Earth’s surface and also changes how air circulates globally to increase the chance of prolonged hot weather in Europe.
https://www.climatedepot.com/2026/07/23/heatwaves-caused-by-fall-in-pollution-uk-met-office-concludes-cleaner-skies-since-the-1980s-allow-more-of-the-suns-heat-to-reach-earths-surface/
