2 days Ago By Stuti Mishra
More than 60 per cent of the world’s population endured extreme heat driven by the climate crisis over nine days in mid-June, according to a new study. Approximately 5 billion people lived in extreme temperatures that were made at least three times more likely due to the climate crisis. The study, published by Climate Central, covered the period from 16 to 24 June.
Andrew Pershing, vice president for science at Climate Central, said the heatwaves were an “unnatural disaster”. “More than a century of burning coal, oil, and natural gas has given us an increasingly dangerous world,” he said. “The heatwaves popping up around the world this summer are unnatural disasters that will become more common until carbon pollution stops.
” In India , which recorded its longest-ever heatwave this summer , at least 619 million people, over half of the population, experienced severe heat, with maximum temperatures approaching 50C and night-time lows of 37C. The intense heatwave led to over 40,000 cases of heatstroke and over 100 deaths, according to official figures which are likely an undercount. China too saw temperatures hitting 50C, the highest-ever recorded in June.
Wuhan warned of potential electricity rationing due to increased demand for air conditioning. In Saudi Arabia , at least 1,300 people died from heat-related illnesses during the Hajj pilgrimage, with temperatures in some cities surpassing 50C. “ClimaMeter’s report highlights that the deadly heat during this y.
