False claims suggesting that the BBC has been misreporting temperatures in southern Europe have been spreading on social media.
A clip of Neil Oliver, a GB News presenter, accusing the BBC “and others” of “driving fear” by using “supposedly terrifying temperatures”, has been viewed more than two million times.
For the past few weeks, an intense heatwave has been sweeping through parts of southern Europe and north Africa, with extensive wildfires breaking out in Greece, Italy and Algeria - leading to more than 40 deaths.
Speaking about the fires on Rhodes on GB News on Monday, Mr Oliver accused the BBC, and other broadcasters, of trying to “make people terrified of the weather”.
This is my parents, who emigrated from Europe in 80s.
“Greece is always this hot in the summer”
“I remember 40 degree weather when I was a kid, no one was complaining then”
“Do they expect the Mediterranean not to get hot?”
I hate to see it, especially since they’re both otherwise smart people. They’re just completely taken in by climate denialism.
I hate to say it… but they are not really that smart based on that. Amd I’m saying this as someone who’s mom who is “otherwise really smart”, but pretty fucking stupid.