Projected changes in the season of hot days in the Middle East and North Africa

The present study analyses changes in the timing and duration of the hot days season over the Middle East and North Africa region from 1970 to 2099 using model simulations of 11 regional models from the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment under the RCP8.5 scenario. In general, a nons...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Varela, Rubén, Rodríguez-Díaz, Laura, Barriopedro Cepero, David, Castro, Maite de, Costoya, Xurxo, García Herrera, Ricardo Francisco, Gómez-Gesteira, Moncho
Format: article
Publication Date:2021
Country:España
Institution:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repository:Docta Complutense
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/4519
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/4519
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:52
Climate-change projections
Mortality risk
Heat-stress
Cosmo-CLM
Temperature
Summer
Impacts
Cordex
Waves
Population
Física atmosférica
2501 Ciencias de la Atmósfera
Description
Summary:The present study analyses changes in the timing and duration of the hot days season over the Middle East and North Africa region from 1970 to 2099 using model simulations of 11 regional models from the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment under the RCP8.5 scenario. In general, a nonsymmetrical lengthening of the hot days season is projected, with a tendency to extend more into spring than into autumn. By the end of the century and the RCP8.5 scenario, Western Africa and the Persian Gulf display a hot days season starting 60 days earlier than in the historical period (1970–1999) (May vs. July, respectively). Southernmost latitudes are the most affected by a later retreat of the hot days season, of up to 60 days with respect to the historical period (October vs. August). The length of the extreme season is projected to increase between 100 and 120 days for the southernmost latitudes and the Persian Gulf resulting in nearly four more months with hot days conditions.