The things the heatwave uncovered might be a good indicator of how severe it was this summer.
Falling water levels around Europe as a result of the heat have uncovered a number of treasures that are typically hidden by rivers and lakes.
Among the discoveries, so-called “hunger stones” are possibly the most foreboding. Previous generations erected these inscribed stones along the banks of rivers.
They exist as a warning that starvation is anticipated as the river level drops and they become visible.
The stones have resurfaced on the banks of the Elbe river, which runs from the Czech Republic through Germany during this summer’s drought.
The Danube river’s water level has lowered due to the heat to the point where World War II shipwrecks that were still carrying bombs are now visible.
Another WWII shipwreck from Italy was discovered in the River Po: a barge used by German troops and destroyed in 1943.
A circle of stones thought to be dated 500 BC has reemerged from the Valdecanas reservoir down in Spain.
The Spanish Stonehenge, also known as the Dolmen of Guadalperal, have only surfaced four times since they were submerged in floodwaters in 1963.
A flooded settlement called Aceredo has also emerged somewhere in Spain.
The village was submerged in 1992 to create room for a reservoir, but due to the year’s relentless heat, its structures are now again on display.
In fact, a few of its previous inhabitants have come back to have a look.
Here in the UK, the Baitings hamlet’s ruins were rediscovered when the heatwave caused a reservoir in Yorkshire to lose water.
In the 1950s, the Baitings Reservoir in the West Yorkshire Pennines inundated the village.
The tiny village’s roots may be traced back to the Viking colonization of Britain in the Middle Ages and include a centuries-old packhorse bridge.
It developed into a packhorse route that connected Yorkshire and Lancashire through the Pennines.
Despite the fact that temperatures are expected to rise over the next week, it won’t be as hot as the recent heatwaves that caused wildfires and destroyed crops all over the world.
Typically, scientists avoid drawing connections between certain weather phenomena and climate change.
However, Friederike Otto of Imperial College London reportedly stated in June of this year that although we shouldn’t stop conducting research, we no longer required to wait for fresh studies before establishing a link between climate change and heatwaves.
“I think we can very clearly claim now that every heatwave that is occurring now has been made more intense and more likely because of climate change,” the expert said.
There is no denying that heatwaves will vary drastically as a result of climate change.