More than 5 billion or 60 per cent of the world's population faced extreme heat that was made at least three times more likely by climate change in mid-June, where 171 million are Bangladeshi, according to rapid attribution analysis by scientists at Climate Central.
The last few weeks have seen extreme temperatures soaring around the world. Every heat wave is now made stronger and more likely by climate change, caused by burning oil, gas, coal, and deforestation, read a press release on Thursday.
Scientists at Climate Central analysed the role of climate change on global temperatures over the period 16-24 June and estimated the number of people affected. They found that 4.97 billion people experienced extreme heat made at least three times more likely by climate change.
This includes 171 million in Bangladesh, 619 million people in India, 579 million in China, 231 million in Indonesia, 206 million in Nigeria, 176 million in Brazil, 165 million in the US, 152 million in Europe (excluding Russia), 123 million in Mexico, 121 million in Ethiopia, and 103 million in Egypt.
"More than a century of burning coal, oil, and natural gas has given us an increasingly dangerous world. The heatwaves popping up around the world this summer are unnatural disasters that will become more and more common until carbon pollution stops,” said Andrew Pershing, VP for Science at Climate Central.
France’s Centre national de la recherchescientifique’s (CNRS) climate researcher DavideFaranda said, "ClimaMeter's report highlights that the deadly heat during this year's Hajj is directly linked to fossil fuel burning and has affected the most vulnerable pilgrims.
“Only reducing fossil fuel combustion can prevent reaching critical temperature thresholds and avoid transforming these significant religious events into recurrent tragedies.”
ClientEarth lawyer Johnny White said, “The climate crisis is the greatest threat to human rights globally.
“Loss of life and harm to people’s wellbeing will only increase if systemic emitters do not rapidly rein in the fossil fuels driving dangerous heat spikes and other extreme weather events.”
Extreme heatwaves are causing widespread suffering around the world. In Saudi Arabia, over 1,300 Hajj pilgrims have died due to heat, with temperatures above 50ºC. In Greece, the Acropolis closed as temperatures hit 43ºC.
The US experienced two heatwaves, one in the South and another on the East Coast, causing numerous heat-related emergencies.
In India, a severe heatwave left over 40,000 with heatstroke and more than 100 dead. China saw record June temperatures of 50ºC. The Southern Hemisphere also faced unusual winter heat, with record highs in Paraguay and Peru.
Climate change is significantly contributing to these extreme temperatures.
Extreme heat is one of the best-documented effects of climate change, which is caused by the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas, coal, and deforestation.
Due to human-caused warming, extreme heat waves that occurred once every 50 years now occur nearly five times more often [or once every 10.4 years] and are 1.5ºC degrees warmer, according to the IPCC, the UN’s panel of top climate scientists.
If the world only reduces fossil fuel use as slowly as currently planned - which would lead to the world warming nearly 3ºC - these extreme heat waves that used to happen only twice a century would occur roughly every three years.
