Recently, people around the world have been experiencing some of the hottest weather ever recorded. In some places, the weather has been so hot that it’s been dangerous. The extreme weather is being caused by climate change.
In the northern part of the world, summer began in late June. But temperatures around the world are already setting records. In fact, June 2023 was the hottest June ever recorded. From the United States, to Europe, to Africa, to Asia, huge numbers of people are dealing with extremely high temperatures. And even places which aren’t so hot are dealing with other kinds of extreme weather.
In the US, the National Weather Service (NWS) has given special warnings about the heat to over 100 million people. Places like Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas are facing unusually high temperatures.
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Over 100 million people in the US are under a heat warning. The temperature in Phoenix, Arizona hit 116ºF (47ºC) yesterday. It was the 18th day in a row that Phoenix had a temperature at or above 110ºF (43ºC). The picture above is from Sunday when the heat reached 118ºF (48ºC).
The temperature in Phoenix, Arizona hit 116º Fahrenheit (F) (47º Celsius (C)) yesterday. That was the 18th day in a row that Phoenix had a temperature at or above 110ºF (43ºC). On Sunday, the temperature reached 128ºF (53ºC) in California’s Death Valley.
Europe is being hit by two heat waves in a row. Many European countries, especially Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, are also feeling intense heat. Italy has put out “red alerts” for 16 cities. These alerts warn that even healthy people can be hurt by the effects of the heat. Some extremely high temperatures have been predicted for this week: 104ºF (40ºC) in Portugal, 111ºF (44ºC) in Spain and Greece, and 118ºF (48ºC) in Italy. If Italy gets that warm, it will be a European record.
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Many European countries, especially Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, are feeling intense heat. Temperatures in Italy could reach as high as 118ºF (48ºC), which would be a European record. Above, tourists use water from the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy to keep cool on Monday.
The northern African countries of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia have all experienced temperatures above 113ºF (45ºC). China is also facing incredibly high temperatures. The capital, Beijing, has recently seen temperatures above 104ºF (40ºC). The Xinjiang area of China has set a new record by hitting 126ºF (52ºC).
This hot weather isn’t just unpleasant, it’s dangerous. The World Meteorological Organization says heat waves can be one of the most dangerous natural disasters. A recent study suggests that over 61,000 people died in Europe last summer as a result of the record-breaking heat.
(Source: [CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO], ESA.)
But high temperatures aren’t the only example of recent extreme weather. The northeast part of the US has been dealing with a record-breaking amount of rain that has caused terrible floods. South Korea and India have also been affected by large and dangerous floods.
The heat is not just affecting the land; it’s also warming up the oceans. The water temperature off of Florida’s south coast has gone above 90ºF (32ºC). Temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea are predicted to be warmer than average. These extreme ocean temperatures can be even more damaging for sea life than extremely hot air temperatures are for humans.
Scientists have long predicted that heat waves would grow more common and more severe as a result of global warming. That’s certainly part of what’s going on now. On top of that, this year there is a natural weather cycle called El Niño, which increases temperatures even more.
Did You Know…?
The record for the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth was set in Death Valley in 1913. That temperature was 134ºF (56.7ºC).