The Cantref Reservoir in Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, where water levels dropped during the warm summer this year. PA.
The Cantref Reservoir in Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, where water levels dropped during the warm summer this year. PA.
The Cantref Reservoir in Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, where water levels dropped during the warm summer this year. PA.
The Cantref Reservoir in Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, where water levels dropped during the warm summer this year. PA.

World

Europe

Climate change made 2022 drought 'at least 20 times likelier'

Heatwave that caused record temperatures in Northern Hemisphere this summer could become a common occurrence, researchers say.

Neil Murphy
Neil Murphy

October 06, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

Human-induced climate change made this summer's drought across the Northern Hemisphere at least 20 times more likely, according to research.

The three months from June to August were the hottest in Europe since records began, and the exceptionally high temperatures led to the worst drought on the continent for centuries.

Researchers from World Weather Attribution, a group of scientists from around the world who study the link between extreme weather and climate change, said this type of drought would only happen once every 400 years if not for climate change.

Now they expect these conditions to repeat every 20 years, given how much the climate has warmed.

Successive heatwaves between June and July, which resulted in temperatures topping 40°C (104°F) in Britain for the first time, caused about 24,000 excess deaths in Europe.

China and North America also experienced unusually high temperatures and exceptionally low rainfall over the period.

“The 2022 summer has shown how human-induced climate change is increasing the risks of agricultural and ecological droughts in densely populated and cultivated regions of the North Hemisphere,” said Sonia Seneviratne, a professor at the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science at ETH Zurich in Switzerland and one of the study's contributors.

To quantify the effect of human-caused climate change on soil moisture levels, the team analysed weather data and computer simulations to compare the real climate as it is today, about 1.2°C hotter than pre-industrial levels.

They found that western and central Europe experienced particularly severe drought and substantially reduced crop yields.

Moisture in the top seven centimetres of soil across the Northern Hemisphere was made five times likelier to experience severe drought due to climate change, the study found.

Morocco's last nomads are struggling with climate change — in pictures

Amazigh Ida Ouchaali at an encampment near the village of Amellagou, where some of the last people to keep Morocco's nomadic traditions reside. They say their ancient lifestyle has become impossible to sustain as climate change brings ever more intense droughts. All photos: AFP
Amazigh Ida Ouchaali at an encampment near the village of Amellagou, where some of the last people to keep Morocco's nomadic traditions reside. They say their ancient lifestyle has become impossible to sustain as climate change brings ever more intense droughts. All photos: AFP
Amazigh Ida Ouchaali belongs to a community of about 25,000 people at the last census in 2014. Its numbers are down by two-thirds in a decade.
Amazigh Ida Ouchaali belongs to a community of about 25,000 people at the last census in 2014. Its numbers are down by two-thirds in a decade.
Amazigh tents near the village of Amellagou in Morocco. Ida Ouchaali's tribe spent centuries roaming the country to find food for their animals, but their way of life is steadily disappearing. Ms Ouchaali says she is 'exhausted' by her fight for survival.
Amazigh tents near the village of Amellagou in Morocco. Ida Ouchaali's tribe spent centuries roaming the country to find food for their animals, but their way of life is steadily disappearing. Ms Ouchaali says she is 'exhausted' by her fight for survival.
Amazigh women in Amellagou carry out their daily chores.
Amazigh women in Amellagou carry out their daily chores.
An Amazigh man poses for a picture next to a herd of sheep near the village of Amellagou. Water for livestock is hard to find and the harsh climate threatens his way of life.
An Amazigh man poses for a picture next to a herd of sheep near the village of Amellagou. Water for livestock is hard to find and the harsh climate threatens his way of life.
Amazigh families at Amellagou worry about the future of their children. One teenager says the young want to 'turn the page on nomadism'.
Amazigh families at Amellagou worry about the future of their children. One teenager says the young want to 'turn the page on nomadism'.
Amazigh Moha Ouchaali is in his 50s. 'Everything has changed,' he says. 'I don't recognise myself anymore in the world of today.'
Amazigh Moha Ouchaali is in his 50s. 'Everything has changed,' he says. 'I don't recognise myself anymore in the world of today.'
An Amazigh boy and his belongings in the Moroccan desert.
An Amazigh boy and his belongings in the Moroccan desert.
Children of Amazigh families grow up in a shrinking community. At one time there were nearly 500 tents around the village of Amellagou but now there are less than a tenth of that.
Children of Amazigh families grow up in a shrinking community. At one time there were nearly 500 tents around the village of Amellagou but now there are less than a tenth of that.
Each generation of Amazigh face social and economic changes that make their lives more difficult. Laws passed by Morocco that would defend the nomadic way are simply ignored by other people, they say.
Each generation of Amazigh face social and economic changes that make their lives more difficult. Laws passed by Morocco that would defend the nomadic way are simply ignored by other people, they say.
Amazigh sheltering at Amellagou say they recall a time when nomadic people were welcomed by settled communities but such hospitality is largely gone.
Amazigh sheltering at Amellagou say they recall a time when nomadic people were welcomed by settled communities but such hospitality is largely gone.
Driss Skounti says he has little hope for the future. 'Nomadic life has an identity and a tradition steeped in history, but is doomed to disappear within 10 years.'
Driss Skounti says he has little hope for the future. 'Nomadic life has an identity and a tradition steeped in history, but is doomed to disappear within 10 years.'

For the top one metre of soil, known as the root zone, this summer's dryness was made at least 20 times likelier due to global heating.

“Really, what is most relevant for agriculture and ecological impacts is the top one metre of the soil because that's where plants have their roots,” said Prof Seneviratne.

Overall, a Northern Hemisphere drought such as this summer's was now likely to occur once every 20 years in today's climate, compared to once every 400 years in the mid-18th century.

Producers in Europe and China have warned of significantly lower than expected harvests in crop staples due to the dry spell, after food prices hit multi-year highs following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.

Friederike Otto, senior lecturer in climate science at the Imperial College London, called the crop shortfall “particularly worrying”.

“It followed a climate change-fuelled heatwave in South Asia that also destroyed crops, and happened at a time when global food prices were already extremely high due to the war in Ukraine,” she said.

Otto said the Northern Hemisphere in general was showing a “pure climate change signal” in its overall warming trends.

Maarten van Aalst, director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and professor of climate and disaster resilience at the University of Twente, said governments needed to do far more to prepare for future heat and drought shocks, which will become ever more frequent as temperatures rise.

“We're talking tens of thousands of people killed by these phenomena and one thing that we are seeing is the impacts compounding and cascading across regions and sectors,” he said.

“It is playing out in front of our eyes even faster than we might have expected.”

The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet

Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder

Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km

How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

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Barbie
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What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

  • An arms embargo
  • A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
  • A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
  • A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
  • Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

On Women's Day
Kareem Shaheen on Canada
While you're here
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The Details

Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5 

Match info

Wolves 0

Arsenal 2 (Saka 43', Lacazette 85')

Man of the match: Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal)

QUALIFYING RESULTS

1. Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1 minute, 35.246 seconds.
2. Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Mercedes, 1:35.271.
3. Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 1:35.332.
4. Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.497.
5. Alexander Albon, Thailand, Red Bull Racing Honda, 1:35.571.
6. Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, McLaren Renault, 1:35.815.
7. Daniil Kvyat, Russia, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:35.963.
8. Lance Stroll, Canada, Racing Point BWT Mercedes, 1:36.046.
9. Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 1:36.065.
10. Pierre Gasly, France, Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda, 1:36.242.

Eliminated after second session

11. Esteban Ocon, France, Renault, 1:36.359.
12. Daniel Ricciardo, Australia, Renault, 1:36.406.
13. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Ferrari, 1:36.631.
14. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:38.248.

Eliminated after first session

15. Antonio Giovinazzi, Italy, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.075.
16. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari, 1:37.555.
17. Kevin Magnussen, Denmark, Haas Ferrari, 1:37.863.
18. George Russell, Great Britain, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.045.
19. Pietro Fittipaldi, Brazil, Haas Ferrari, 1:38.173.
20. Nicholas Latifi, Canada, Williams Mercedes, 1:38.443.

Tom Fletcher on 'soft power'

The Vines - In Miracle Land
Two stars

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Trolls World Tour

Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith

Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake

Rating: 4 stars

Company profile

Name: Infinite8

Based: Dubai

Launch year: 2017

Number of employees: 90

Sector: Online gaming industry

Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor

Top goalscorers in Europe

34 goals - Robert Lewandowski (68 points)

34 - Ciro Immobile (68)

31 - Cristiano Ronaldo (62)

28 - Timo Werner (56)

25 - Lionel Messi (50)

*29 - Erling Haaland (50)

23 - Romelu Lukaku (46)

23 - Jamie Vardy (46)

*NOTE: Haaland's goals for Salzburg count for 1.5 points per goal. Goals for Dortmund count for two points per goal.

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Greatest Royal Rumble results

John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match

Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto

Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus

Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal

Bludgeon Brothers retain the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos

Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe

AJ Styles remains WWE World Heavyweight champion after he and Shinsuke Nakamura are both counted out

The Undertaker beats Rusev in a casket match

Brock Lesnar retains the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last

Essentials

The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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The%20specs
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if you go
Updated: October 06, 2022, 10:24 AM`
UKDroughtClimate change