From US to Europe to Asia: Temperature reaches new highs as heatwaves scorch the globe

ROME: Temperatures reached new highs on Monday as heatwaves scorched elements of the Northern Hemisphere, triggering well being warnings and fanning wildfires within the newest stark reminder of the consequences of global warming.
From North America to Europe and Asia, folks gulped water and sought shelter from the sweltering warmth, with the mercury anticipated to succeed in new highs in a number of locations within the subsequent few days.
Europe, the globe’s fastest-warming continent, was bracing for its hottest-ever temperature this week on Italy’s islands of Sicily and Sardinia, the place a excessive of 48 levels Celsius (118 levels Fahrenheit) is predicted, in response to the European House Company.
“We’re from Texas and it is actually scorching there, we thought we might escape the warmth however it’s even hotter right here,” Colman Peavy, 30, mentioned as he sipped a capuccino at an out of doors terrasse in central Rome along with his spouse Ana initially of a two-week Italian trip.
With June already having been the world’s hottest on file, in response to the EU climate monitoring service, Mom Nature appeared intent on July not falling far behind.
China reported a brand new excessive for mid-July within the northwest of the nation, the place temperature reached 52.2C within the Xinjiang area’s village of Sanbao, breaking the earlier excessive of fifty.6C set six years in the past.
In close by Turpan metropolis, the place floor floor temperatures sizzled at 80C in some elements, authorities have informed staff and college students to remain residence and ordered particular autos to spray water on main thoroughfares, the meteorological physique mentioned.
In Cyprus, the place temperatures are anticipated to stay above 40C by Thursday, a 90-year-old man died on account of heatstroke and three different seniors have been hospitalised, well being officers mentioned.
In Japan, heatstroke alerts have been issued in 32 in another country’s 47 prefectures, primarily in central and southwestern areas.
At the very least 60 folks in Japan have been handled for heatstroke, native media reported, together with 51 who have been taken to hospital in Tokyo.
The warmth was sufficient for at the very least one man to dispense with social mortification in Hamamatsu metropolis.
“It is actually insufferable with no parasol, though I’ve to confess it’s a bit embarrassing,” he informed nationwide broadcaster NHK of the umbrella in his hand.
Japan’s highest-ever temperature was 41.1C first recorded in Kumagaya metropolis in 2018.
In western and southern states within the US, that are used to excessive temperatures, greater than 80 million folks have been beneath advisories as a “widespread and oppressive” heatwave roasted the area.
California’s Demise Valley, typically among the many hottest locations on Earth, reached a near-record 52C Sunday afternoon.
In Arizona, the state capital Phoenix recorded its seventeenth straight day above 109 levels Fahrenheit (43 levels Celsius), as temperatures hit 113F (45C) on Sunday afternoon.
“We’re used to 110, 112 (levels Fahrenheit) … However not the streaks,” Nancy Leonard, a 64-year-old retiree from the close by suburb of Peoria, informed AFP. “You simply should adapt”.
Southern California was combating quite a few wildfires, together with one in Riverside County that has burned greater than 7,500 acres (3,000 hectares) and prompted evacuation orders.
In Europe, Italians have been warned to organize for “essentially the most intense heatwave of the summer season and in addition some of the intense of all time,” with the well being ministry sounding a pink alert for 16 cities together with Rome, Bologna and Florence.
Temperatures have been as a consequence of hit 42C-43C in Rome on Tuesday, smashing the file of 40.5C set in August 2007.
However, guests thronged to vacationer scorching spots just like the Colosseum and the Vatican.
“I am from South Africa. We’re used to this warmth,” mentioned Jacob Vreunissen, 60, a civil engineer from Cape City. “It’s important to drink numerous water, clearly put on your hat and that is about it.”
Greece noticed a respite on Monday, as temperatures eased a bit and the Acropolis in Athens resumed its common opening hours after shutting for a couple of hours in the course of the earlier three days. However a brand new heatwave was anticipated from Thursday and meteorologists warned of a heightened threat of wildfires amid strengthening winds from the Aegean Sea.
In Romania, temperatures are anticipated to succeed in 39C on Monday throughout a lot of the nation.
Little reprieve is forecast for Spain, the place meteorologists warned that “abnormally excessive” temperatures on Monday, together with as much as 44C within the southern Andalusia area in what could be a brand new regional file.
Together with the warmth, elements of Asia have additionally been battered by torrential rain.
South Korea’s president vowed Monday to “fully overhaul” the nation’s strategy to excessive climate, after at the very least 40 folks have been killed in latest flooding and landslides throughout monsoon rains, that are forecast to proceed by Wednesday.
In northern India, relentless monsoon rains have reportedly killed at the very least 90 folks, following burning warmth.
Main flooding and landslides are widespread throughout India’s monsoons, however consultants say local weather change is growing their frequency and severity.
It may be troublesome to attribute a specific climate occasion to local weather change, however many scientists insist that world warming is behind the intensification of heatwaves.