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In June, nearly 5 billion people experienced extreme heat due to climate change over just nine days. More than 60% of the world's population faced these high temperatures, which were at least three times more likely to occur because of climate change, according to scientists at Climate Central.
In recent weeks, temperatures have soared worldwide. Every heatwave now is stronger and more likely to happen because of climate change, caused by burning oil, gas, coal, and deforestation.
Scientists at Climate Central studied how climate change affected global temperatures from June 16 to June 24. They estimated that 4.97 billion people experienced extreme heat during this period. The numbers include:
| Country | Number of People Affected |
|---|---|
| India | 619 million |
| China | 579 million |
| Indonesia | 231 million |
| Nigeria | 206 million |
| Brazil | 176 million |
| Bangladesh | 171 million |
| United States | 165 million |
| Europe (excluding Russia) | 152 million |
| Mexico | 123 million |
| Ethiopia | 121 million |
| Egypt | 103 million |
In Saudi Arabia, at least 1,300 people died from heat-related illnesses during the Hajj pilgrimage. Some cities experienced temperatures above 50ºC. Climate Central found that Mecca has been experiencing such high temperatures due to climate change every day since May 18 and even more likely since May 24. A previous study by Climameter showed that climate change made the Saudi heatwave up to 2.5ºC hotter.
In Greece, the Acropolis in Athens had to close because temperatures exceeded 43ºC, which is very high for this time of year. Sadly, six tourists died during the heatwave, including UK TV doctor Michael Mosley, who died while walking in extreme heat in Symi, Greece. Other parts of the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and North Africa also faced extremely high temperatures.
In the US, two back-to-back heatwaves have hit recently. The first one affected the southern US, Mexico, and Central America. In Mexico, at least 125 people died, and on June 21, temperatures reached 52ºC in Sonora. The World Weather Attribution group found that climate change made the extreme heat in May and June 35 times more likely.
A few days later, another intense heatwave hit the eastern US. In New York, health officials reported a 500-600% increase in heat-related emergency visits. According to Climameter, climate change made temperatures up to 2ºC hotter.
The extreme heat also affected the Copa America football tournament. During a match between Peru and Canada, an assistant referee collapsed due to the heat, with temperatures reaching 38ºC and high humidity.
India faced one of its worst-ever heatwaves, which finally eased in mid-June. This heatwave caused over 40,000 cases of heatstroke and more than 100 deaths. Temperatures approached 50ºC, with a nighttime low of 37ºC, reportedly the highest ever recorded in India.
China also endured extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 50ºC, the highest ever recorded in June, and nighttime temperatures in the mid-30s. The city of Wuhan warned it might start rationing electricity due to the high demand for air conditioning.
Even in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is winter, countries like Paraguay and Peru experienced record high temperatures in June.
In Egypt, temperatures approached 50ºC. In the southern province of Aswan, at least 40 people died due to the heat. The high temperatures caused a surge in energy consumption, leading to daily power cuts to prevent overloading the electrical grid.
Extreme heat is one of the most well-documented effects of climate change, which is caused by burning fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal, and deforestation. According to the IPCC, due to human-caused warming, extreme heatwaves that used to occur once every 50 years now happen nearly five times more often and are 1.5°C warmer. If fossil fuel use continues as currently planned, leading to nearly 3ºC of global warming, these extreme heatwaves could occur every three years.
Expert Comments
Andrew Pershing, VP for Science at Climate Central, said, "More than a century of burning coal, oil, and natural gas has given us an increasingly dangerous world. The heatwaves popping up around the world this summer are unnatural disasters that will become more and more common until carbon pollution stops."
Davide Faranda, Climameter researcher at CNRS, France, said, "ClimaMeter's report highlights that the deadly heat during this year's Hajj is directly linked to fossil fuel burning and has affected the most vulnerable pilgrims. Immediate action is imperative to safeguard the health and safety of Middle East citizens and pilgrims. Only reducing fossil fuel combustion can prevent reaching critical temperature thresholds and avoid transforming these significant religious events into recurrent tragedies."
Tommaso Alberti, Climameter researcher at INGV, Italy, said, "ClimaMeter's analysis indicates that natural climate variability is highly unlikely to be the main cause of the Saudi Arabian heatwave, with up to 2.5°C warmer than the warmest heatwaves previously observed in the region. It is crucial to prepare for the growing intensity and increase in frequency of such events. This calls for urgent actions to protect public health, particularly in historical neighbours and religious areas of Middle East cities, which are densely populated."
