Temperatures across the world have risen to concerning levels, and the spread of extreme weather conditions has increased as the two biggest polluters, China and the United States, sought to resume climate talks on Monday. Scientists have noted that the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels is becoming increasingly out of reach, with evidence of a climate crisis visible everywhere. The remote town of Sanbao in a desert region of northwest China recorded a record-high temperature of 52.2 degrees Celsius. Wildfires have flared up in Europe ahead of the second heatwave, which is forecasted to push temperatures up to 48 degrees Celsius. In the United States, a quarter of the population has received warnings of extreme heat waves, partly due to a heat dome settled over the western states.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, remarked on Twitter, "In many parts of the world, record temperatures are expected today." He added, "The climate crisis is not a warning. It is happening. I urge world leaders to act now." In a resumption of diplomatic efforts on global warming between the two superpowers, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry met his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua in Beijing, urging joint action to reduce methane emissions and cut coal usage for energy generation. Kerry noted, referring to the increasing storms and wildfires, "In the next three days, we hope to begin taking some significant steps that send a signal to the world about the serious commitment of China and the United States to confront a common danger, threat, and challenge to humanity that has been created by humans themselves." He added that this situation "is toxic for both Chinese and Americans and for residents of every country on this planet."
Prolonged high temperatures in China threaten energy grids and crops, raising concerns about a repeat of last year's drought, the worst in 60 years. Typhoon Talim has strengthened and is expected to reach southern China's coast at night, forcing the country to cancel flights and trains in the Guangdong and Hainan regions. In South Korea, heavy rains have claimed the lives of 40 people as river dams collapsed, causing flash floods. The flooding followed the largest rainfall recorded in Seoul last year. The counter cyclone known as Sharon might cause Europe to exceed its highest recorded temperature of 48.8 degrees Celsius, likely happening on the Italian island of Sardinia.
Tourists in the Italian capital cool themselves in front of two giant fans set up outside the Coliseum, intermittently sipping water from a fountain near the Spanish Steps. In Spain, temperatures may rise to 44 degrees Celsius in some areas. A wildfire on La Palma Island in the Canary Islands forced four thousand people to evacuate the area before it was brought under control as temperatures dropped, according to local official Sergio Rodriguez in an interview with TVE. Scientists have long warned that climate change, driven by carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels, will make heatwaves more frequent, severe, and deadly. The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that 2022 and 2021 experienced the hottest summers on the continent.
Andreas Flores, an assistant professor of physiology at the University of Thessaly in Greece, stated that buildings and roads store heat during the day and release it at night, causing temperatures to remain more than four degrees Celsius higher than the surrounding areas, contributing to increased health risks for vulnerable age and population groups. He added, "We have seen that this rise in nighttime temperatures in cities often contributes to more deaths than we had thought."
Last summer, heatwaves may have claimed the lives of about 61,000 people in Europe, raising concerns of a repeat in the current season. Climate scientist and director of the Pierre Simon Laplace Institute in France, Robert Vautard, expressed, "What worries me is health, really, the health of vulnerable people living under roofs unqualified to withstand such high temperatures. This could lead to many deaths." The heat dome across the western United States has also caused heavy rainfall in the northeast, resulting in at least five lives lost. Heat warnings have spread as far as Florida. Carlo Buontempo, director of the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service, stated there is a clear pattern of heatwaves becoming more common, as scientists have predicted. He added, "We are already in completely uncharted territory. We have seen nothing like this in our living memory and in our history."
