Hundreds of millions of people have been subjected to extreme heat. July 2024 could have been the hottest month on record Health
Hundreds of millions of people around the world have been subjected to extreme heat this summer, and July 2024 could have been the hottest month on record, the World Meteorological Organization reports, citing data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Last month was also the hottest July on record, with average temperatures 0.03 degrees Celsius higher than in July 2023.
The prolonged and intense heatwaves once again highlight the need for urgent action to combat climate change and adapt to its impacts, as repeatedly called for by the UN Secretary-General.
“Widespread, intense and prolonged heatwaves have hit every continent over the past year. At least ten countries have recorded daily temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius in more than one place. It’s getting too hot to handle,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
“Death Valley in California has recorded a record monthly average temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius, possibly a new world record. Even the remote ice sheets of Antarctica have been hit by the heat,” she added.
WMO is seeking to respond to the UN Secretary-General’s call to action, including by improving early warning systems for heat waves. The latest estimates from WMO and the World Health Organization suggest that such measures could save around 98,000 lives a year.
“Climate adaptation alone is not enough. We need to address the root cause and get serious about reducing record levels of greenhouse gas emissions,” Saulo said.
Europe
In July, many parts of the Mediterranean and the Balkans experienced prolonged heatwaves, causing loss of life and adversely affecting public health. A study by scientists at World Weather Attribution found that the Mediterranean heatwaves – in Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and Morocco – would not have occurred without human-induced climate change.
Several countries, including Greece, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Bulgaria, reported their warmest July on record. Greece has had three of its four warmest Julys in at least 80 years in the last four years.
The Fabra Observatory in Barcelona, Spain, has recorded a new record high of 40 degrees Celsius.
France hasn’t had an exceptionally hot July, but the first heat wave of the year was felt towards the end of the month, affecting the well-being of athletes and spectators at the Paris Olympics.
North America
On August 1, about 165 million people in the United States—half the country’s population—were issued heat warnings. More than 80 temperature records have been set in the past 30 days, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
On August 1, Las Vegas set a new record of 43 consecutive days with highs of 105 degrees Fahrenheit or higher (the previous record was 25 days in 2017).
On August 2, there were 94 major wildfires in the United States. Since the beginning of the year, fires have burned 1,816,645 hectares of forest, which is significantly more than the average area burned for the period from 2014 to 2023.
As of August 3, there were 829 fires burning in Canada, more than 250 of which were out of control. British Columbia and Alberta have been particularly hard hit, according to the Canadian Interagency Wildfire Centre. In British Columbia, more than 800,000 hectares of forest have already burned in 2024, almost double the 20-year average.
The Impact of Heat on Children
Nearly half a billion children live in areas where there are twice as many extreme heat days as there were 60 years ago, according to a new analysis by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Extreme heat is defined as days when the temperature is 35 degrees Celsius or higher. Many of the children who find themselves in such harsh climates do not have access to infrastructure or services that would help them easily cope with the heat.
“Extreme heat is on the rise, impacting children’s health, well-being and daily lives,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
Children in West and Central Africa are experiencing extreme heat more than anywhere else, according to the fund. On average, 123 million children now live in temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius for more than a third of the year. The number of extremely hot days per year in Mali reaches 212, in Niger – 202, in Senegal – 198 and in Sudan – 195.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, nearly 48 million children live in areas with twice as many extremely hot days as they did 60 years ago. In the United States, 36 million children are exposed to heat waves, twice as often as they were 60 years ago.
Heat stress caused by exposure to extreme heat poses a particular threat to the health and well-being of children and pregnant women, especially when there is no means of cooling. It can lead to pregnancy complications, such as gestational chronic diseases, and adverse birth outcomes, including stillbirth, low birth weight, and preterm birth.
Excessive heat stress also leads to malnutrition and noncommunicable diseases among children and makes them more vulnerable to infectious diseases that spread in high temperatures, such as malaria and dengue fever.