Unprecedented climate extremes

Level: Advanced / C1

Please click the 'Print friendly' icon below if you want to print this exercise

We experienced unprecedented climate extremes in the last decade, according to a report from the World Meteorological Association (WMO).

Here is a BBC article about it. Read the article and then answer the following questions:

1) When did Europe have an extreme summer?

2) True or false: there was an increase in deaths from floods in the study period.

3) How fast did global mean sea levels rise?

4) Why does the WMO think temperatures are rising?

5) When was the warmest year ever recorded?

Answers below!

Update:
There is also a short video on this story.

Finally, what do you think? Are you a climate sceptic or are you worried about the issue?

ANSWERS!

1) 2003 (Russia 2010)

2) False

3) About 3mm per year

4) Greenhouse gases from human activity

5) 2010