Intense, unrelenting heatwaves have become the new normal and are fueling the situation climate change and exacerbated droughts and wildfires.
June was the hottest month on record, but July is likely to get even worse. The beginning of the month was the hottest week on Earth since records began early dates by the World Meteorological Organization.
Excessive heat warnings and heat alerts are now affecting over 100 million people in the United States, according to the National Weather Service.
The climate in the west is particularly harsh. California’s Death Valley could surpass the hottest temperatures recorded this weekend, according to the US National Weather Service synchronized “sultry and dangerous heat.”
The organization urged citizens to “practice warmth in safe ways,” such as staying hydrated and avoiding strenuous outdoor activities.
Summer temperatures in the notoriously dry national park often over 120 Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius), according to the National Parks Service. That’s because the surrounding mountains trap hot air in the long and narrow basin of the valley.
The heat could top 130 Fahrenheit this weekend, the record for the hottest temperature ever reliably measured on Earth, data says The Scientific American.
So were people in Phoenix, Arizona treated for second degree burns caused by scorching hot sidewalks, according to the Independent. Temperatures there have soared to over 110 degrees Fahrenheit for the past two weeks.
The US is not an anomaly. Heat waves are scorching Europethe Middle East and south-eastern Türkiye and Morocco issued a warning for extreme heat in parts of the country.
Humans have released so much carbon dioxide and methane that it has changed the Earth’s climate. contribute to more frequent and longer-lasting extreme weather events.
consecutive years of drought and above average temperatures have almost dried up Uruguay’s only freshwater reservoir. More than half of the country’s population does not have access to clean tap water. Per Guardian.
climate pressures are also hits the north Argentina and Southern Patagonia. There is also water shortage in Iraq Domino effect about agriculture and food production.
“Extreme weather – becoming increasingly common in our warming climate – has significant impacts on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies. This underscores the increasing urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as profoundly as possible,” said Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization called.
This article was originally published by Business Insider.
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