5 months ago
20
Deadly
heatwaves
are scorching cities on four continents as the Northern Hemisphere marks the first day of summer, a sign that climate change may again help to fuel record-breaking heat that could surpass last summer as the warmest in 2,000 years.
Record
temperatures
already reached in recent days are suspected to have caused hundreds if not thousands of deaths across Asia and Europe.
In Saudi Arabia, nearly two million Muslim pilgrims are finishing the haj at the Grand Mosque in Mecca this week. But hundreds have died during the journey amid temperatures above 51C. Around 10 countries have reported 1,081 deaths, according to an AFP tally.
Nations around the Mediterranean have also endured another week of blistering high temperatures that have contributed to forest fires from Portugal to Greece and along northern coast of Africa in Algeria. In Ser bia, meteorologists forecast temperatures of around 40C this week as winds from North Africa propelled a
hot
front across the Balkans.Belgrade's emergency service said its doctors intervened 109 times overnight to treat people with heart and chronic health conditions. Europe has been contending with a spate of dead and missing tourists amid dangerous heat.
Parts of the US Northeast and Midwest are also wilting under a heat dome, with over 86 million people under alert. A heat dome occurs when a high-pressure system traps hot air over a region, preventing cool air from getting in and causing ground temperatures to remain high. New York City said it would open cooling centres for the first time this year. Officials also issued an excessive heat warning for parts of Arizona, including Phoenix, with temperatures expected to reach 45.5C.
In Mexico, at least 125 people have died due to the heat this year, according to country's health ministry. Over 2,300 more have suffered heat stroke, dehydration and sunburns.
The heatwaves are occurring against a backdrop of 12 consecutive months that have ranked as the warmest on record in year-on-year comparisons, according to the EU's climate monitoring service.
