Heat waves are becoming ever more extreme in many places around the world. Sweltering hot temperatures are putting a strain on our bodies, disrupting society and crippling our infrastructure. Can the world adapt?
Spain is one country where people are feeling the full force of record heatImage: CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP/Getty Images
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People the world over are struggling with sweltering hot temperatures fueled by climate change. The summer's first heat wave has a firm grip on southern Europe, parts of the US and the UK.
Temperatures in southern Spain reached 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday, which is a new record for June, the national weather agency said. Barcelona has also set a new record for its hottest month of June ever recorded.
Authorities along the Mediterranean have urged people to seek shelter from the heat. France and Italy, among others, have dispatched ambulances near tourist hotspots to treat people suffering from heatstroke.
Greece, Turkey feeling the heat as temperatures soar
It's getting hot in Southern Europe. Greece and Turkey have seen unusually high temperatures for this time of year, which has led to school closures and fears of potential forest fires.
Image: Murat Sengul/Andalou/picture alliance
Heat spike
In Turkey, the only solution is a dip in the cool waters of the Bosporus. A heat wave has firmly gripped southern Europe, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). Greece and Turkey have been particularly affected. Both countries are used to the heat, but experts quoted in Greek media have said the warm temperatures are exceptional for this time of year.
Image: Francisco Seco/AP Photo/picture alliance
Parasol protection
A tourist in front of the Monument to the Unknown Soldier in Athens, Greece, has quickly turned her umbrella into a parasol. The Greek Red Cross has set up stands for the many tourists at Syntagma Square, where staff are also handing out free bottles of water.
The Greek Labor Ministry has called on people to work from home wherever possible. Many schools in the country remain closed, and municipalities have opened air-conditioned public buildings for people who do not have a way to cool their own home. Some venture outside again when temperatures drop in the evening — like these people enjoying the sunset on the Acropolis.
Image: Louisa Gouliamaki/REUTERS
Fighting forest fires
As temperatures rise, so does the risk of wildfires. Last week, a fire broke out on the Greek island of Chios. Firefighters are on alert after a winter with little rain and unusually high temperatures since the beginning of June, with local fire departments warning of the threat of further fires. Central Greece, parts of the Peloponnese Peninsula and Crete are particularly at risk.
Image: Konstantinos Anagnostou/REUTERS
Taking a dip in Diyarbakir
In Turkey, firefighting aircraft, drones and helicopters are also on alert. Here, too, temperatures are expected to rise to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), especially in the west of the country — around 12 degrees Celsius higher than usual at this time of year. Children in Diyarbakir have been making the most of the heat, splashing around in the city's historic water channels.
Image: picture alliance/Sipa USA
Sunbathing in Istanbul
Lying stretched out in the sun isn't actually a good idea. One of the most important tips from the authorities for dealing with the heat is to spend the midday hours indoors, if possible. People should also drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol, overeating and doing any outdoor sports. This applies in particular to the elderly, children and the chronically ill.
Image: Francisco Seco/AP Photo/picture alliance
Cooling off in Cairo
Warm air masses over the central Mediterranean and North Africa regions are causing the heat. These Egyptian teenagers are cooling off in the waters of the famous Nile River. The scorching weather should ease by the weekend, but due to climate change, researchers have warned that southern Europe will have to prepare for earlier and earlier heat waves.
Last week, Chinese authorities issued their second-highest heat warning for the capital Beijing and other regions on one of its hottest days of the year so far. The World Meteorological Organziation (WMO) says Asia is heating up more than twice as fast as the rest of the world due to its large landmass.
What's the impact of heat on people and societies?
Heat waves are the deadliest type of extreme weather globally, with hundreds of thousands of people dying from heat-related causes annually. Among the particularly vulnerable are people over 65, pregnant women, children and those with chronic or underlying health conditions.
The first early-season heat waves are particularly deadly, since people are often less prepared and their bodies haven't yet grown accustomed to higher temperatures.
Severe heat does not only impact the body, but also disrupts society as we know it. The UN's children's fund UNICEF says one in 5 minors — that's close to half a billion in total — live in areas that experience at least twice as many extremely hot days per year as they did six decades ago. Many don't have the infrastructure — such as air-conditioning — to help them cope.
India has also reported extreme temperatures in recent weeksImage: Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images
In May, Pakistan experienced a nationwide heat wave that saw temperatures hit 45 degrees Celsius in the country's most populous province of Punjab. Several others cut school hours or started summer holidays early. Heat waves have also disrupted schooling in South Sudan and the Philippines this year.
Equally, extreme heat impacts when people can work. Some countries in hotter parts of the world traditionally take a midday "siesta" break. Now, others in ordinarily cooler places are also talking about how to manage working hours when temperatures soar.
Infrastructure such as roads, railways and bridges are impacted by runaway heat. Standard asphalt road surfaces not made for hot weather tend to rut and can literally melt, while railway tracks can buckle, and bridges can expand and deform.
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How are hotter temperatures connected to climate change?
Continuing a trend, 2024 saw the hottest 12 months on record. Based on six international datasets, the WMO recently reported that every year in the past decade features among the top ten for record-breaking temperatures.
"We've had not just one or two record-breaking years, but a full ten-year series. This has been accompanied by devastating and extreme weather, rising sea levels and melting ice, all powered by record-breaking greenhouse gas levels due to human activities," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.
Human-caused climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of heat waves since the 1950s. Every fraction of a degree of warming matters, and will lead to them becoming even stronger and occurring more frequently.
Coal, oil and gas are by far the largest contributors to climate change. When these fossil fuels are burned to power combustion engines, generate electricity, make plastics and heat homes, they release greenhouse gas emissions. These act like a blanket, covering Earth's atmosphere, trapping the sun's heat and contributing to increasing heat waves.
Extreme heat can also lead to a greater risk of other types of disasters, such as drought and wildfires.
How can we live with rising heat?
Healthcare experts advise people to stay out of the heat whenever possible, to avoid strenuous activity and to drink plenty of fluids — but not alcohol or caffeine.
Homes can be protected to some degree by drawing blinds or curtains and keeping windows closed during the day and opening them at night when the air is cooler. Dressing in light-colored clothing that reflects heat and sunlight can help, as can electric fans, if the ambient temperature is below 35 degrees Celsius.
Long-term strategies to make the heat more bearable include climate-proofing cities by greening spaces and planting trees along streets. This not only provides shade but reduces the heat trapped in concrete.
Overall, experts say boosting the green energy transition by using renewable souces of energy that do not release heat-trapping emissions is key to keeping global temperatures down.
In 2024, 40% of the world's electricity was generated using renewable energy. Solar was the main driver of this trend, according to a report by global energy think tank Ember.
Edited by: Tamsin Walker
Historic heat wave hits Europe
Scorching days, sticky nights: Europe is suffering in an unusually early and intense heat wave. The peak of the heat is expected in Germany on Wednesday. France and Spain have reported their first heat-related deaths.
Image: Michaela Stache/REUTERS
Deadly temperatures
An early heat wave has had Europe firmly in its grip for days, and it's claiming lives: in France and Spain, at least seven people have died as a result of the high temperatures, according to the authorities. It's likely to be several months before a comprehensive tally of heat-related deaths is available. Very high temperatures are particularly dangerous for older people and small children.
Image: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images
Record-breaking heat
Like colorful mushrooms, parasols dot the beach of Almada on Portugal's Costa da Caparica. Both Portugal and Spain set new temperature records for June of over 46 degrees Celsius (114 Fahrenheit). At night, temperatures on the Iberian Peninsula did not fall below 30 degrees in some places, making it almost impossible to get a good night's sleep without air conditioning.
Image: CARLOS COSTA/AFP/Getty Images
Just dive in
The hottest day of the year is expected in Germany on Wednesday. Extreme heat warnings are in force in many regions, with temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius expected in Frankfurt am Main. In many places, the only thing that helps is a dip in the cool water, like at this swimming pool in the Swabian Alb.
Image: Thomas Warnack/dpa/picture alliance
Blazing heat
The blazing sun rises over Paris on Tuesday. France has declared the highest heat warning level for the capital for the first time in five years, with temperatures of up to 41 degrees Celsius expected. Due to the heat, the upper floors of the Eiffel Tower, probably the city's most famous landmark, will remain closed to visitors until Wednesday.
Image: Thibaud Moritz/AFP/dpa/picture alliance
Parasol protection
In Venice, tourists have been forced to seek shelter under parasols during gondola rides. The Italian Health Ministry has declared the highest heat warning level in several regions, and a highway in Veneto had to be closed after it became deformed due to the heat. The German Foreign Office is currently warning against traveling to Italy due to the heat wave.
Image: ANDREA PATTARO/AFP/Getty Images
Splash!
Taking a plunge in Munich helps make the long, hot days just about bearable. The high temperatures are a health risk: according to Germany's Federal Statistical Office, around 1,400 people in Germany have been treated in hospitals every year in the last decade for health problems caused by sun exposure or heat; an average of 22 people have died each year.
Image: Peter Kneffel/dpa/picture alliance
Climate change fuels heat waves
The animal and plant world is also suffering. Germany has already been in drought for months, and the high temperatures are causing additional drought stress in nature. According to researchers, the number and intensity of heat waves is continuing to increase due to human-caused climate change, which is especially bad in Europe.
Image: Bernd Weißbrod/dpa/picture alliance
Early exercise
This jogger took advantage of the cooler morning temperatures to get out for a run early Monday morning in Berlin. Later in the day, sport is not advisable in view of the high temperatures, especially outdoors. Even without exertion, heat stress can be dangerous for the body. In addition to sun protection, it's recommended to drink plenty of fluids and seek out cool places.
Image: Christoph Soeder/dpa/picture alliance
Fun in the fountain
Temperature records were broken not only on land, but also in the Mediterranean Sea. Off the Balearic Islands, the water was up to 26 degrees Celsius — temperatures normally not recorded until August. In Greece, where this girl took a moment to cool off in an Athens fountain, strong winds have now made the heat somewhat bearable, but the risk of forest fires has risen to the highest level.
Image: Stelios Misinas/REUTERS
'This is unprecedented'
Elsewhere, fires have already broken out. In the Turkish province of Izmir, 1,000 firefighters are trying to contain a forest blaze. In Spain, two people died in a bush fire. Fires have also destroyed 400 hectares of land in France, where heat warnings were in force in 84 of 95 departments on Monday. "This is unprecedented," Agnes Pannier-Runacher, France's ecology transition minister, told AFP.
Image: Mehmet Emin Menguarslan/Anadolu/picture alliance
Relief in the forecast
A dog and its owner managed to cool off in the Danube River. An end to the heat is in sight in Western Europe, with thunderstorms expected in France and Germany late Wednesday and Thursday. After that, the heat should ease noticeably, with temperatures below 30 degrees expected. Spain and Italy, on the other hand, may have to wait until the weekend for a slight drop in temperatures.