Scorching temperatures are engulfing large parts of the Northern hemisphere, while devastating floods triggered by relentless rainfall have disrupted lives and livelihoods, underscoring the urgent need for more climate action, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday.
According to the UN weather agency, June witnessed the warmest global average temperature on record, and heatwaves have persisted into early July. Torrential rains and floods have resulted in dozens of fatalities and affected millions in the United States, Japan, China and India.
“The extreme weather – an increasingly frequent occurrence in our warming climate – is having a major impact on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
“We have to step up efforts to help society adapt to what is unfortunately becoming the new normal,” he added.
Heatwaves, amongst the deadliest natural hazards, kill thousands of people each year.
Elevated temperatures raise the risk of forest fires, as seen recently in Canada, which lost over nine million hectares of forests in 2023 till date, far surpassing the 10-year average of about 800,000 hectares. The resulting pollution and haze spread across much of the northeastern United States, impacting the health of millions.
Above-normal temperatures, with the mercury rising more than five degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) above the long-term average, are forecast in the Mediterranean region over the next two weeks, as well as in many places in North Africa, the Middle East and Türkiye.
A widespread heatwave is intensifying in the southern United States, with high temperatures likely in numerous places, according to the US National Weather Service, which says a few locations could even register all-time temperature records.