Future trends in compound concurrent heat extremes in Swiss cities - An assessment considering deep uncertainty and climate adaptation options

The interaction of multiple hazards across various spatial and temporal scales typically causes compound climate and extreme weather events. Compound concurrent hot day and night (CCHDNs) extremes that combine daytime and nighttime heat are of greater concern for health than individual hot days (HDs...

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Main Authors: Saeid Ashraf Vaghefi, Veruska Muccione, Raphael Neukom, Christian Huggel, Nadine Salzmann
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-12-01
Series:Weather and Climate Extremes
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212094722000809
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author Saeid Ashraf Vaghefi
Veruska Muccione
Raphael Neukom
Christian Huggel
Nadine Salzmann
author_facet Saeid Ashraf Vaghefi
Veruska Muccione
Raphael Neukom
Christian Huggel
Nadine Salzmann
author_sort Saeid Ashraf Vaghefi
collection DOAJ
description The interaction of multiple hazards across various spatial and temporal scales typically causes compound climate and extreme weather events. Compound concurrent hot day and night (CCHDNs) extremes that combine daytime and nighttime heat are of greater concern for health than individual hot days (HDs) or hot nights (HNs), even though their frequency is lower. We utilize a bottom-up exploratory approach to investigate how adaptation options and various unfolding future scenarios alleviate the impacts of the heatwaves and affect the frequency and intensity of CCHDNs. We use climate observations (1981–2020) and Switzerland's future climate model scenarios (CH2018) to analyze historical and future trends of the individual hot day followed by a hot night (HDNs, first metric), and the length and frequency of CCHDNs (second and third metrics) in the near-future (2020–2050) and far-future (2070–2100). Results show more frequent and lengthier HDNs in cities under all emission scenarios, notably significant under high emissions scenarios. The highest increase of HDNs occur in i) Lugano with 65.8 days (decade−1) in the historical period and 110 (371) days (decade−1) in near-future (far-future), ii) Geneva with historical 48 days (decade−1) to 108 (362) (decade−1), iii) Basel with 48–74 (217) days in the future, followed by iv) Bern with 15–44 (213) days and v) Zürich with 14–50 (217) days (decade−1) in the near-future and far-future, respectively. We consistently project that the CCHDNs in April–October become more likely and intense in all cities under all emission scenarios, with higher increases under the RCP8.5 scenario and after the 2050s. The frequency of compound extreme heatwaves (exceeding both historical thresholds of night and day temperatures) may increase by 3.5–7.8-fold and become 3.3–5.3-fold lengthier in all cities of Switzerland in the far-future. We find that the adaptation options targeting higher tolerance to increased minimum temperatures contribute more to reducing compound extreme events' frequency and intensity than adaptation options that address the maximum daily temperature.
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spelling doaj.art-af12366195f445cd9795bca92465562c2022-12-22T03:12:18ZengElsevierWeather and Climate Extremes2212-09472022-12-0138100501Future trends in compound concurrent heat extremes in Swiss cities - An assessment considering deep uncertainty and climate adaptation optionsSaeid Ashraf Vaghefi0Veruska Muccione1Raphael Neukom2Christian Huggel3Nadine Salzmann4University of Zürich, Department of Geography, Switzerland; Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland; Corresponding author. Department of Geography, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.University of Zürich, Department of Geography, SwitzerlandUniversity of Zürich, Department of Geography, Switzerland; University of Fribourg, Department of Geosciences, SwitzerlandUniversity of Zürich, Department of Geography, SwitzerlandUniversity of Fribourg, Department of Geosciences, Switzerland; WSL: Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos Dorf, Switzerland; Climate Change, Extremes, and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Center CERC, Davos Dorf, SwitzerlandThe interaction of multiple hazards across various spatial and temporal scales typically causes compound climate and extreme weather events. Compound concurrent hot day and night (CCHDNs) extremes that combine daytime and nighttime heat are of greater concern for health than individual hot days (HDs) or hot nights (HNs), even though their frequency is lower. We utilize a bottom-up exploratory approach to investigate how adaptation options and various unfolding future scenarios alleviate the impacts of the heatwaves and affect the frequency and intensity of CCHDNs. We use climate observations (1981–2020) and Switzerland's future climate model scenarios (CH2018) to analyze historical and future trends of the individual hot day followed by a hot night (HDNs, first metric), and the length and frequency of CCHDNs (second and third metrics) in the near-future (2020–2050) and far-future (2070–2100). Results show more frequent and lengthier HDNs in cities under all emission scenarios, notably significant under high emissions scenarios. The highest increase of HDNs occur in i) Lugano with 65.8 days (decade−1) in the historical period and 110 (371) days (decade−1) in near-future (far-future), ii) Geneva with historical 48 days (decade−1) to 108 (362) (decade−1), iii) Basel with 48–74 (217) days in the future, followed by iv) Bern with 15–44 (213) days and v) Zürich with 14–50 (217) days (decade−1) in the near-future and far-future, respectively. We consistently project that the CCHDNs in April–October become more likely and intense in all cities under all emission scenarios, with higher increases under the RCP8.5 scenario and after the 2050s. The frequency of compound extreme heatwaves (exceeding both historical thresholds of night and day temperatures) may increase by 3.5–7.8-fold and become 3.3–5.3-fold lengthier in all cities of Switzerland in the far-future. We find that the adaptation options targeting higher tolerance to increased minimum temperatures contribute more to reducing compound extreme events' frequency and intensity than adaptation options that address the maximum daily temperature.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212094722000809Extreme eventsCompound concurrent hot day and night eventsExploratory modelingClimate adaptationsHeatwaveSwitzerland
spellingShingle Saeid Ashraf Vaghefi
Veruska Muccione
Raphael Neukom
Christian Huggel
Nadine Salzmann
Future trends in compound concurrent heat extremes in Swiss cities - An assessment considering deep uncertainty and climate adaptation options
Weather and Climate Extremes
Extreme events
Compound concurrent hot day and night events
Exploratory modeling
Climate adaptations
Heatwave
Switzerland
title Future trends in compound concurrent heat extremes in Swiss cities - An assessment considering deep uncertainty and climate adaptation options
title_full Future trends in compound concurrent heat extremes in Swiss cities - An assessment considering deep uncertainty and climate adaptation options
title_fullStr Future trends in compound concurrent heat extremes in Swiss cities - An assessment considering deep uncertainty and climate adaptation options
title_full_unstemmed Future trends in compound concurrent heat extremes in Swiss cities - An assessment considering deep uncertainty and climate adaptation options
title_short Future trends in compound concurrent heat extremes in Swiss cities - An assessment considering deep uncertainty and climate adaptation options
title_sort future trends in compound concurrent heat extremes in swiss cities an assessment considering deep uncertainty and climate adaptation options
topic Extreme events
Compound concurrent hot day and night events
Exploratory modeling
Climate adaptations
Heatwave
Switzerland
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212094722000809
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