Geneva: Extreme heat is setting unprecedented records worldwide, exacerbating the crisis with rampant wildfires and deteriorating air quality, as highlighted in a recent report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
According to EMM, the report underscores that between 2000 and 2019, roughly 489,000 people succumbed to heat-related deaths each year, with Europe and Asia bearing the brunt of these fatalities. The urban heat island effect, which leads to elevated temperatures in densely populated city areas compared to rural surroundings, is intensifying the health impacts of heat, especially as urbanization continues to rise.
Southeast Europe has been significantly affected, with Türkiye experiencing a new national high of 50.5 degrees Celsius (122.9 degrees Fahrenheit). Similarly, Asia witnessed unusually high temperatures across the Himalayas, China, and Japan, with heat persisting into August. By early August, temperatures exceeded 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) in parts of West Asia, southern Central Asia, the southwestern US, North Africa, and southern Pakistan. Certain areas in southwestern Iran and eastern Iraq faced temperatures beyond 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), causing disruptions to essential services like electricity and water.
During the first week of August, Morocco issued heat warnings with temperatures reaching up to 47 degrees Celsius (116 degrees Fahrenheit), while Korea and China also faced widespread heat warnings and record-breaking temperatures. Japan set a new national temperature record of 41.8 degrees Celsius (107.2 degrees Fahrenheit) on 5 August.
Looking forward, the World Meteorological Centre in Beijing predicts continued heatwaves in these regions, including the Iberian Peninsula and northern Mexico, with temperatures expected to reach between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius (100.4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit). Areas in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, North Africa, and the southwestern US are likely to see temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).
Canada has also been grappling with one of its worst wildfire seasons on record, with 6.6 million hectares burned. The resulting smoke has affected air quality across several provinces and northern US states. Twice this summer, the smoke traveled across the Atlantic, impacting skies over Western and Central Europe.
Elsewhere, Cyprus, Greece, and Türkiye have battled wildfires leading to evacuations and fatalities, while a wildfire in Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park disrupted tourism.
WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett emphasized that extreme heat, often termed the silent killer, should no longer be ignored given today's scientific advancements. The WMO is actively working to bolster heat early warning systems under the Early Warnings for All initiative, collaborating globally to develop heat-health action plans and ensure at-risk populations receive timely alerts.
The WMO, alongside nine other UN agencies, supports the Secretary-General's Call to Action on Extreme Heat, aiming to enhance global cooperation to mitigate heat impacts through economic and social policies. A primary objective is to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, aligning with the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Estimates from WMO and the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest that expanding heat-health warning systems in 57 countries could save nearly 100,000 lives annually. Joy Shumake-Guillemot of the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme emphasized the urgent need to connect science, policy, and action to prevent communities from being left behind in the race against climate change, highlighting that this is not just a climate issue but a public health emergency.