Thread: Why is it so Hot Everywhere?

The Persian Gulf is enduring life-threatening heat indexes above 140 degrees

The heat and humidity in the Persian Gulf region have soared to nearly intolerable levels this week, and there's little relief in sight.

Some locations have seen the heat index, or how it feels when factoring in the humidity, reach 140 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (60 to 65 Celsius), fueled by an intense heat dome, the warmest water temperatures in the world and the influence of human-caused climate change.

Temperatures at the Persian Gulf International Airport in Asaluyeh, Iran, climbed to 108 (42 C) on Wednesday and 106 (41 C) on Thursday, with both days recording a peak heat index of 149 (65 C). In Dubai, the temperature topped out at 113 (45 C) on Tuesday and the heat index soared to 144 (62 C). Other extreme heat indexes in recent days include 141 (61 C) in Abu Dhabi and 136 (58 C) at Khasab Air Base in Oman.

Dr. Robert Rohde - The Earth's mean temperature has a seasonal cycle that generally peaks in July, during Northern Hemisphere summer.

June 2024 was so warm that it not only exceeded every previously measured June, but also exceeded every previous July except for July 2023.

Dangerous heat hits Japan

Japanese weather officials said on Sunday that the rainy season appears to have ended in the Chugoku and Kinki regions. Dangerous heat is hitting Japan, and caution is urged against heatstroke.

The Meteorological Agency made the announcement based on the forecast that fine weather will prevail in the coming week.

The end of the rainy season in the regions came two days later than average, and five days later than last year.

The western and eastern parts of the country were covered by a high pressure system on Sunday, with temperatures topping 35 degrees Celsius in some places.

By 12:30 p.m., a high of 38.2 degrees was recorded in the city of Toyooka in Hyogo Prefecture.

Humidity is also high.

The agency and the Environment Ministry issued heatstroke alerts for 34 prefectures from the Kanto Koshin region to Okinawa.

People are advised not to exercise and to refrain from going outside when the heat index on the ministry's website reaches 31 or higher in their region.

Residents of those areas are also advised to use air conditioning indoors and take fluids and salt from time to time.

People are advised to keep an eye on infants and the elderly, as they are vulnerable to heatstroke.

Las Vegas hits record of fifth consecutive day of 115 degrees or greater as heat wave scorches US

Already the city has broken 16 heat records since June 1, well before the official start of summer, “and we’re not even halfway through July yet,” meteorologist Morgan Stessman said Wednesday. That includes an all-time high of 120 F (48.8 C) set on Sunday, which beat the previous 117 F (47.2 C) record.

The U.S. heat wave came as the global temperature in June was a record warm for the 13th straight month and marked the 12th straight month that the world was 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than pre-industrial times, the European climate service Copernicus said. Most of this heat, trapped by human-caused climate change, is from long-term warming from greenhouse gases emitted by the burning of coal, oil and natural gas, scientists say.

Sunday was world’s hottest ever recorded day, data suggests

World temperature records were shattered on Sunday on what may be the hottest day scientists have ever logged, data suggests.

Inflamed by the carbon pollution spewed from burning fossils and farming livestock, the average surface air temperature hit 17.09C (62.76F) on Sunday, according to preliminary data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, which holds data that stretches back to 1940. The reading inched above the previous record of 17.08C (62.74F) set on 6 July last year, but the scientists cautioned that the difference was not statistically distinguishable.

“What is truly staggering is how large the difference is between the temperature of the last 13 months and the previous temperature records,” said the Copernicus director, Carlo Buontempo. “We are now in truly uncharted territory – and as the climate keeps warming, we are bound to see new records being broken in future months and years.”

The finding comes as large parts of the world roast in punishing heat. Hot weather fuels crackling wildfires that burn homes to a crisp, and triggers silent waves of mass mortality that spill through hospital wards and retirement homes.

Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist who works on the Berkeley Earth data project, said the record was “certainly a worrying sign” on the back of 13 record-setting months and that it should show up in datasets from other research groups. “It also makes it even more likely that 2024 will beat 2023 as the warmest year on record.”

Prof. Eliot Jacobson - The preliminary global surface temperature for July 22 just came in at 17.15°C, obliterating the previous record set just yesterday of 17.09°C. https://twitter.com/EliotJacobson/st...39531033788572

Zeke Hausfather - While the past few days have seen a spike in global temperatures, most of July 2024 has been below the values seen in July 2023

This means that the month as a whole is now very likely (>95% chance) to come in below July 2023, breaking the 13 record month streak the world has experienced since last June.: https://twitter.com/hausfath/status/1816155289210740857

Life at 115F: a sweltering summer pushes Las Vegas to the brink

For the 2.3 million people who call this valley home, the dangerous elements are harder to ignore. When temperatures climb, shadeless streets are hot enough to cause second-degree burns in seconds.

This June was the city’s hottest on record. In July, things got even worse: the city experienced a record seven days at 115F or higher and set a new all-time high of 120F.

The heat is just a signal of what’s to come. Temperatures in Las Vegas are rising faster than almost anywhere else in the US.

Zeke Hausfather - July 23rd was almost as hot as July 22nd globally, coming in at 17.15C compared to 17.16C.

Thankfully the current spike in global temperatures is expected to fade next week, though July 2024 as a whole will still end up as the second warmest July on record: https://twitter.com/hausfath/status/1816528806427206094

Extreme heat poses ‘real risk’ to Spain’s mass tourism industry

The climate emergency poses a “real risk” to Spain’s traditional mass tourist model as rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves hit the country’s most popular coastal destinations, a senior public health adviser has warned.

Héctor Tejero, the head of health and climate change at Spain’s health ministry, said the increasingly apparent physical impacts of the climate emergency had already led the ministry to begin talks with the British embassy on how best to educate “vulnerable” tourists about coping with the heat.

Asked whether the climate emergency could lead to tourism disappearing from parts of Spain in the future, Tejero said: “It’s a real risk because the big Spanish sol y playa tourist areas – the areas that are most dependent on tourism – are places where the impact of climate change is going to be greatest in Spain; places such as the south and the east of the peninsula – basically the Mediterranean coast. There’s a definite risk that the zones where there’s most tourism will become less habitable because of more heatwaves and much hotter nights.”

A Spanish government report published eight years ago predicted that a changing climate could dramatically alter Spain’s tourist industry, eroding beaches, flooding transport systems, causing water shortages at the height of the season and forcing ski resorts to close down. The report forecast that, by 2080, tourism from northern Europe could fall by 20% from its 2004 level as rising temperatures induced people to holiday at home.

Severe heatwave in Iran forces shops and public institutions to close

A heatwave blanketing Iran has forced authorities to cut operating hours at various facilities on Saturday and order all government and commercial institutions to close on Sunday, as hospitals received more than 200 people for heatstroke treatment.

Temperatures ranged from 37C (98.6F) to 42C (107F) in the capital, Tehran, according to weather reports.

The state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) said banks, offices and public institutions across the country would close on Sunday to protect people’s health and conserve energy and that only emergency services and medical agencies would be excluded.

Nournews, which has close links to Iran’s supreme national security council, reported on Wednesday that temperatures in Iran are rising at twice the pace of global temperatures. Iran has become 2C warmer over the past 50 years, compared with 1C worldwide, the agency said.

Heatwaves are becoming more severe and prolonged owing to the global climate crisis, which has been caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels.

NASA Climate - July 22, 2024 was the hottest day on record. Average global temperatures for July 21 & 23 also exceeded the previous record.

The preliminary finding comes from @NASA atmospheric models that combine millions of land, sea, air & satellite observations. https://twitter.com/NASAClimate/stat...39517094986097

2024 Paris Olympics highlight climate change's growing threat to athletes

As the Paris Olympics get underway, rising global temperatures loom large, just as they have for Games over the past decade in Beijing, Tokyo, Pyeongchang and Sochi.

Finding Olympic venues cold enough for winter events and not too warm for summer events increasingly challenges the International Olympic Committee and would-be hosts. Sweltering temperatures in recent world competitions raised serious health and safety concerns for athletes. They also sparked questions about whether the summer Games could one day become the fall or spring Games instead.

“It’s extremely noticeable how much hotter it’s gotten and how much more difficult that makes training,” said Samuel Mattis, a discus thrower on Team USA’s track and field team, who has 15 years in the sport.

Going into the Games in France, athletes and officials alike feared the country could experience a repeat of the heat wave that killed thousands last summer. For some athletes, fears of a heat wave during the Games lend new meaning to the words Olympic flame.

The quandary extends far beyond the Olympics, to athletes, coaches and spectators across the spectrum, from the professional and college level to high school and youth sports leagues.

“It’s not just Olympians who are playing in extraordinary conditions,” said Madeleine Orr, an associate professor in sport ecology at the University of Toronto in Ontario and author of “Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sport." “It’s every person playing sports in every part of the world.”

In the lead-up to the Olympics, Orr and others are focusing attention on how climate change increases the dangers for all athletes.

Record breaking summer heat waves prompt higher home cooling costs

Extreme heat is prompting higher home cooling costs. It is also putting some individuals at risk

Amid surging summer heat, the earth reached a new hottest day on record on July 22.

That day, the global average temperature was almost 63 degrees Fahrenheit, and was surrounded by similar high temperature days.

Across the U.S. this summer, many areas have experienced unrelenting heat waves.

As a result, many Americans face a tough tradeoff between paying higher cooling costs or suffering in the heat to save money, research finds.

Moroccan climate experts warn that the severe heatwave will continue

Moroccan climate experts are warning that the severe heatwave the country is currently experiencing will continue.

They say temperatures are reaching as high as 47 degrees Celsius in many regions and will likely last until at least Friday.

"Dry and hot desert wind from the southern Moroccan Sahara, also known as the Sirocco, continues to blow northward toward the Mediterranean coast of Europe. This period between the end of July and August will record higher temperatures,” said climate expert Mustafa Aisset.

He added that because of the direct impact of climate change on weather, the country will experience more heatwaves and they will be hotter and longer than they are currently.

Zeke Hausfather - July 2024 came in slightly below 2023, ending a 13-month streak of record-setting months.

But global temps remain far above any year prior to 2023, and 2024 is still on track to be the warmest year on record.

Hangzhou, Shanghai Broil as Extreme Heat Engulfs Eastern China

Mega-cities on China's eastern coast are facing another spell of scorching heat as temperatures hovered around 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Friday and prolonged extreme temperatures were expected to run into next week.

The Shanghai Meteorological Center on Thursday issued the first red warning signal for high temperatures this year after the sprawling metropolis hit 40C, logging the 22nd day of temperatures over 40C since its Xujiahui weather station began tracking data in 1873.

Treacherous heatwaves are becoming the norm in China as experts blame global climate changes for extreme weather conditions across the world.

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/ar...-eastern-china

Astonishing Antarctica heat wave sends temperatures 50 degrees above normal

A record-breaking heat wave unfolding at what should be the coldest time in EarthÂ’s coldest place has scientists concerned about what it could mean for the future health of the Antarctic continent, and the consequences it could inflict for millions of people across the globe.

Temperatures since mid-July have climbed up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit above normal over parts of Antarctica and unseasonable warmth could continue through the first half of August.

The latest data shows high temperatures in portions of East Antarctica – where the most abnormal conditions are ongoing – that are typically between minus 58 and minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit are now closer to minus 13 to minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit.

Death Valley records its hottest month ever in July

Death Valley, the hottest place on Earth, recorded its hottest month ever on record in July, the National Park Service (NPS) announced.

In a statement released on Friday, the NPS revealed that the park had an average 24-hour temperature of 108.5F (42.5C), in turn beating out its previous record of 108.1F (42.3C) set in 2018.

In July, the average high temperature in Death Valley was 121.9F (49.9C). According to the NPS, the park experienced nine days of temperatures at 125F (51.7C) or greater and only seven days that did not reach at least 120F (48.8C). The highest temperature last month was on 7 July, when the weather station at Furnace Creek recorded 129.2F (54C).

Survey reveals a quarter of Germans affected by extreme heat

One in four people in Germany experienced health problems due to extreme heat this year, according to a new report released on Monday.

Fatigue, circulatory problems and sleep disorders were among the problems experienced among Germans during heat waves, according to a survey conducted on behalf of health insurance company DAK-Gesundheit.

The elderly are more vulnerable, with around a third of those over 60 being affected.

Overall, heat waves and extreme weather are a major concern for nearly two-thirds of the people in Germany. Young people aged 18 to 29 are particularly anxious, with 23 percent saying they are "very worried" about these developments.

From the Philippines to Mali, countries fail to count deaths from extreme heat

Food delivery driver John Jay Chan has had no protections from the record-breaking heat waves that have hit the Philippines in recent months, but he must continue to work nine-hour days to provide for his family.

"We understand that the nature of our work means we're exposed to extreme heat," said Chan, a 30-year-old father of two, who has been a motorbike gig worker for six years.

Some of Chan's colleagues have experienced mild heatstroke or elevated blood pressure while working in temperatures that have exceeded 45 degrees Celsius.

"But until now, we haven't been monitored by the government for heat-related illnesses or deaths, so the lack of data means we're not a priority," said Chan.

From the Philippines to India and Mali, a lack of reliable data on heat-related deaths is undermining efforts to mitigate the risk of extreme heat and provide better protection for the most vulnerable, like outdoor migrant and gig workers.

Globally, 2.41 billion workers, or 70% of the world's workforce, are exposed to excessive heat, with people in Africa, Arab states and the Asia and Pacific region facing the highest exposure, according to a July report by the International Labour Organization (ILO). This causes nearly 19,000 deaths a year, the ILO said.

Another month, another heat record broken: UN weather agency

Last month saw another extreme weather milestone with the world’s hottest day on recent record registered on 22 July – yet another indication of the extent to which greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are changing our climate, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported on Wednesday.

50℃ barrier broken

“Widespread, intense and extended heat waves have hit every continent in the past year. At least ten countries have recorded daily temperatures of more than 50 degrees Celsius in more than one location,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

These trends underline the urgency of the Call to Action on Extreme Heat, a new initiative launched in July by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to enhance international cooperation to address extreme heat.

“Earth is becoming hotter and more dangerous for everyone, everywhere,” stressed the UN Chief.

‘It’s devastating’: summer in Canada’s Arctic region brings severe heatwaves

The arrival of August in the Arctic typically hints that autumn, with its dwindling daylight and cold weather, will soon return.

But on a recent afternoon, Sandy Gordon and her four children plunged into the silty waters of the Canada’s Mackenzie River, escaping a searing heatwave that has descended on the town of Inuvik.

“We absolutely love it when it’s nice and hot,” she said. “It’s so nice to be able to enjoy a true summer.”

Seasonal change in the north is rapid and, for local people, summer marks a brief reprieve from months of bitter cold. But a heatwave that is currently hovering over the community 130 miles (209km) north of the Arctic Circle threatens to shatter its all-time heat record.

While the warmth has brought joy, it also comes with a set of lingering worries, including the threat of wildfires and thawing permafrost, leading some to wonder if the growing trend of balmy weather might come with too steep a cost.

On Wednesday, just past the northernmost traffic lights in North America, a digital thermometer slowly climbed, eventually reaching 35C (95F) – and passing an all-time record of 33C set last year. Families left the NorthMart grocery store clutching boxes of popsicles and ice cream. A weather alert from Environment Canada classified the heat as “severe”, warning of “significant threat to life or property”.

The unseasonably warm temperatures mark the fourth heatwave of the season. While some dream of escaping work and leaping into nearby lakes and rivers, others aren’t thrilled.

“Winter absolutely sucks. I hate it,” said Kamdyn Alexie. “But at the same time, heat in the mid-30s isn’t so great either.”

Red weather alert in Spain: Experts warn of serious risk to life due to extreme heat in these areas

SPAIN has issued a series of red alerts for extreme heat this weekend – the highest warning possible.

It means there is a serious risk to life in the affected areas due to exceedingly high temperatures – which could surpass 40C.

It comes as Friday saw the start of the country’s fourth official heatwave of the summer.