Conspiracy theorists now think the heatwave isn’t real

As a heatwave take over much of America and Europe, with seawater in Florida reaching 100 degrees or more, much of Greece on fire, and July set to be the hottest month in living memory, some are still putting their head in sand about climate change and what the heatwave means for our Earth.

Some right-wing conspiracy theorists have suggested that the heatwave is in fact a hoax and the numbers being reported are false.

GB News presenter Neil Oliver has accused the BBC "and others" of "driving fear" by using "supposedly terrifying temperatures", in a clip that has been viewed over 2 million times. Oliver claims that the reported temperatures of "40 this and 40 that... were obtained using satellite images of ground temperatures," he said. "That's never been the temperature that's used in weather reporting and forecasting."

Many conspiracy theorists have latched onto the temperature reported by BBC from the interior of Sicily (47C) and a weather station in sea-side Palermo (37C) from the BBC weather app, as proof that the BBC is faking its data. The BBC disputed the claims, stating that ground temperatures "are not used in the BBC's weather reporting and forecasting" unlike Oliver's false claim.

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Oliver also retweeted other claims that climate data is manipulated and false, showing he is just one of many who are promoting such conspiracies.

Former Fox News commentator Steven Milloy called it the "heat wave hysteria hoax":

Some conspiracy theorists in the UK have argued that the heatwave and climate change are a hoax due to most of the country facing heavy wind and rain during the summer:

However, the heavy rain fall during typically warmer and drier months is another sign of climate change's effects.

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