The US and many European countries are experiencing extreme heat, with some areas issuing red alerts for high temperatures.
An extreme heatwave began affecting many Southern European countries on July 13th. The European Space Agency (ESA), which owns numerous satellites that monitor sea and land temperatures, said that Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and Poland were all affected by this heatwave.
The Italian Meteorological Association named this heatwave Cerberus, after the three-headed dog that guards the underworld in Greek mythology.
The country has issued a red alert for temperatures in 10 cities, including Rome, Florence, and Bologna. Temperatures in Europe next week could break the current record of 48.8°C, recorded in Sicily in August 2021.
Spain, Cyprus, and Greece have also issued heat warnings. Greek authorities anticipate temperatures of 44°C over the weekend and have decided to halt all outdoor activities between 12 pm and 5 pm in areas with dangerously high temperatures, while also deploying ambulances at major tourist destinations.
Heatwaves in Europe occur when a high-pressure system originating from North Africa moves into the Mediterranean, combined with climate change, leading to more frequent heatwaves.
A man sprays water on his body to cool down in Naples, Italy, on July 10.
Meanwhile, the heatwave in the southwestern United States continues to intensify, spreading to Washington state. US officials are issuing dangerous temperature warnings affecting at least 93 million people.
Texas has set a new record for electricity consumption as residents increased their use of air conditioning to cope with the heat. Approximately 27 million people will experience a heatwave with perceived temperatures reaching 43°C in the coming days, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Today will be an exceptionally hot day in the US, with temperatures expected to reach a high of 46°C. The heatwave in some areas will continue into next week. Many places may also experience all-time high temperatures.
The heatwave is the result of a high-pressure trough causing temperatures to rise, the NWS explained, stating that this is "one of the strongest activities" of the trough in the area. "The historic heatwave shows no sign of ending anytime soon," the agency warned.
People cool off using misting systems along the sidewalk in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on July 14. Photo: AFP.
The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Agency said the world just experienced its hottest June on record, with average temperatures 0.5 degrees Celsius higher than the 1991-2020 period, surpassing the record set in June 2019.
Copernicus's findings are based on computer analysis using billions of data points from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations worldwide. According to Copernicus, the nine hottest Junes on record in the past nine years are evidence that the climate crisis is pushing temperatures to unprecedented levels.
On July 10th, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced that the first week of July was the hottest week on record.
"The unusually warm weather in June and early July occurred against the backdrop of a newly developing El Niño, which is expected to cause even more extreme temperature increases," said Professor Christopher Hewitt, director of climate services at the WMO.
"This is alarming. It's hard to imagine what summer will be like in 20 years. This is exactly what global warming is all about," Jennifer Marlon, a climate scientist at the Yale School of Environment, expressed her concern.
Duc Trung (According to DW, BBC )
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