Persistent river heatwaves are emerging worldwide under climate change

Rivers and the organisms living within them are highly vulnerable to hot thermal extremes. However, very little is known about river heatwaves, consecutive episodes of anomalously high temperature in rivers, and how they may evolve under climate change. Here we show that river heatwaves will become more intense and more persistent globally by the end of the 21st century, with some tropical rivers reaching a persistent year-round heatwave state in the early 21st century. Under the high-greenhouse-gas-emission scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5), the average intensity of river heatwaves will increase by ~4.2-fold, and the average duration by ~95-fold, relative to the baseline period (1976–2005).…

• UR
  UK Research and Innovation

  Award: NE/T011246/1
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Award: 42371028
• NE
  Natural Environment Research Council

  Award: NE/T011246/1