Global Warming Found To Make Heat Waves More Likely, Times Says

By James Paton - Jul 11, 2012 12:33 AM PT

Global warming made the heat wave that hit Texas last year 20 times more likely than it would have been in the 1960s, the New York Times reported, citing a study by the Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University.

That’s among weather extremes that have become more likely because of human-induced global warming, the newspaper said, citing Philip Mote, director of the institute. The very warm temperatures in the U.K. last November were more than 60 times as likely because of global warming, the report said.

Heat waves and a rise in droughts and downpours may worsen because of global warming, according to the report, which added the heavy rainfall in Thailand in 2011 wasn’t especially unusual based on records.

The Arctic warmed more quickly than the planet last year and sea ice in the region was at the second-lowest level on record, the newspaper said.