UNITED NATIONS, Aug 08 (Alliance News): Last month marked a new extreme weather record with the hottest day globally on July 22, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
This milestone highlights the significant impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change.
The WMO reported that global average temperatures have set new monthly records for 13 consecutive months from June 2023 to June 2024.
“Intense and widespread heat waves have affected every continent this past year, with at least ten countries experiencing temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius in multiple locations,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
In response, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched the Call to Action on Extreme Heat in July, aimed at fostering international cooperation to combat extreme heat. “Earth is becoming hotter and more dangerous for everyone,” Guterres emphasized.
Extreme heat is causing significant societal and economic disruptions. For instance, a 1°C increase in temperature correlates with a 9.1% rise in poverty. Additionally, about 12% of food production is lost due to inadequate cooling, and heat stress could lead to the loss of 80 million full-time jobs by 2030. Nearly half a million heat-related deaths occurred annually from 2000 to 2019.
The UN’s new initiative focuses on four key areas: protecting vulnerable populations, safeguarding workers, enhancing economic and societal resilience with data and science, and limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C by reducing fossil fuel use and investing in renewable energy.
The initiative involves ten specialized UN entities, reflecting the broad impact of extreme heat. The WMO is committed to improving heat-health early warning systems, with estimates suggesting that scaling up these systems in 57 countries could save around 98,000 lives annually.
