At Mimikama we have already covered the topic of the screenshot of the BILD headline with “ 40 degrees heatfrom 1975. Nevertheless, it keeps popping up as soon as the temperatures rise, including again in June 2023!

40 degrees heat: The BILD headline from 1975 in a fact check

It happens every time the thermometer rises

A headline in the BILD newspaper from August 8, 1975 haunts the Internet: “40 degrees heat. Now the weather is becoming life-threatening . Many see this as proof that extreme temperatures have always been part of our history. So is the current discourse about “record heat” just a media phenomenon?

However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the text accompanying the headline provides important nuance. It reads: could on Sunday .” Note the word “ COULD ” here. So it is a forecast and not a record of real temperatures. It seems that exaggeration, a common feature of tabloid media, is coming back into play.

Screenshot: Image "It could be 40 degrees in the shade on Sunday."
Screenshot: Image “ could be 40 degrees in the shade on Sunday

Fact Check: How Hot Was August 10, 1975 Really?

To determine the actual temperatures of that day, we turn to the Wolfram Alpha and the historical weather map on Kachelmannwetter . What we find is revealing. The highest temperatures were found in the northern half of Germany, with 34 degrees Celsius in Hanover and Hamburg . Stuttgart and Munich didn't even reach 30 degrees Celsius. Nowhere did the infamous 40 degrees Celsius reach.

claimFact check
1. The BILD headline from August 8, 1975 said that the temperature reached 40 degrees Celsius.The accompanying article text reveals that the “ 40 degree heat ” statement was a prediction, not an actual record.
2. The highest temperatures on August 10, 1975 were recorded throughout Germany.In fact, the highest temperatures were found in the northern half of Germany, with peak temperatures of 34 degrees Celsius in Hanover and Hamburg. Southern German cities like Stuttgart and Munich didn't even reach 30 degrees Celsius.
3. A single hot day or period is evidence against climate change.Weather, which refers to short-term changes in the atmosphere, should not be confused with climate, which describes the average behavior of the atmosphere over decades. A single hot day or heat wave does not constitute an argument against climate change.

The climate and the weather: an important difference

The ongoing confusion surrounding such headlines highlights the need to distinguish between weather and climate. Weather refers to short-term changes in the atmosphere, while climate describes the average behavior of the atmosphere over decades. A hot day or period is not evidence against climate change.

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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )