Heatwave updates: Extreme temperatures hit Europe, Asia, US

The United Nations has announced that the 48.8C (119.8F) recorded on the Italian island of Sicily in 2021 had been verified as the European high-temperature record, against which the current heatwave will be measured.

The United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO) keeps the World Weather and Climate Extremes Archive and verifies any claimed records – including for temperature, rainfall, aridity, wind speeds and lightning.

“WMO has accepted a new temperature record for continental Europe of 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.8 degrees Fahrenheit) measured in Sicily on August 11, 2021,” the Geneva-based organisation said.

“A committee of experts has verified the accuracy of the temperature reading, but has not yet published the full report. It is possible that this record may be broken in the coming days as the heatwave intensifies.”

China’s National Meteorological Center says Typhoon Talim has made landfall in the southern province of Guangdong, state news agency Xinhua reports.

Nearly 230,000 people in Guangdong had been evacuated to safety as of 5pm (09:00 GMT), Xinhua reported.

Local authorities ordered the closure of 68 coastal tourist destinations, called back 2,702 fishing vessels and ordered 8,262 fish-farming workers to be evacuated on shore, according to Xinhua.

Greek police have arrested a man suspected of starting a wildfire near Athens that a heatwave and strong winds have spread, the fire service says.

“Police carried out the arrest of a foreigner who allegedly caused the fire” in Kouvaras, 50km (30 miles) southeast of Athens, fire service spokesman Yannis Artopios said.

Greek authorities have evacuated 1,200 children from holiday camps threatened by wildfires burning near the seaside resort of Loutraki, its mayor says.

“We have saved 1,200 children who were in the holiday camps,” Giorgos Gkionis told private television channel Skai, after wildfires whipped up by strong winds broke out near Athens during a heatwave.

Heatwaves are expected to continue to affect many countries in Europe in the next few weeks.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Croatia, Bulgaria, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands are also experiencing temperatures above seasonal norms.

However, extreme heat is not expected in the UK until mid-August.

The World Meteorological Organization says a heatwave affecting the Mediterranean is forecast to intensify by midweek and is likely to continue into August in some places.

New records have already been set for specific weather stations in parts of the Northern Hemisphere and new national records may also be set, the UN agency’s website said.

“The heat is forecast to intensify by the middle of the week (19 July) in parts of the Mediterranean, including Greece and Turkey,” it said. “A further continuation into August is likely.”

Extreme temperatures across the globe are predicted to break heat records and exacerbate wildfires as the dire consequences of climate change become more apparent with each passing year.

Click here to read up on what you need to know.

Hot weather affecting displaced people living in camps in northwest Syria is expected to escalate in the coming days, further exacerbating the suffering of those living in tents, which lack cooling mechanisms and are made of nylon fabric that intensifies the reflected heat.

The Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, has warned people not to expose themselves to the sun for prolonged periods in the coming days as temperatures rise above 42C (108F).

They also advised people to increase their water and fluid intake to avoid dehydration and cautioned against placing gas cylinders in the sun to prevent fires.

Watch the video report by Al Jazeera’s Um-e-Kulsoom Shariff.

Forecasters say temperatures in southern Europe could reach record highs as a heatwave continues to cause widespread problems.

It has been named the Cerberus heatwave. Al Jazeera’s Rob McElwee explains where the name comes from and why the high temperatures are lasting so long.

John Kerry, the US climate envoy, has arrived in China to revive efforts to combat global warming amid weeks of record-setting heat in the Northern Hemisphere, which scientists say is being exacerbated by climate change.

Kerry’s four-day trip follows two other high-level US visits to China this year as the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters work to stabilise a relationship strained by trade disputes, military tensions and accusations of spying.

“China and the United States will have an in-depth exchange of views” on climate issues, state broadcaster CCTV said on Kerry’s arrival in Beijing.

Read about his trip here.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has urged world leaders to “act now” against global warming.

“In many parts of the world, today is predicted to be the hottest day on record. And these records have already been broken a few times this year,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Heatwaves put our health and lives at risk. The #ClimateCrisis is not a warning. It’s happening. I urge world leaders to ACT now.”

In many parts of the world, today is predicted to be the hottest day on record. And these records have already been broken a few times this year. Heatwaves put our health and lives at risk.

The #ClimateCrisis is not a warning. It’s happening. I urge world leaders to ACT now. pic.twitter.com/REyXrwWT2Q

— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) July 17, 2023

A wildfire has broken out near Athens as a heatwave grips the country, and several seaside resorts have been ordered to evacuate as a precaution.

The blaze broke out in Kouvaras, about 50km (30 miles) southeast of Athens.

“It’s a difficult fire. The winds are really strong” with gusts reaching up to 60 kilometres per hour [37 miles per hour],” said Yannis Artopios, a firefighters spokesman.

The Fire Service also reported a second large wildfire in a wooded area near the resort town of Loutraki, 90km (55 miles) west of Athens.

Authorities have ordered the evacuation of the towns of Lagonisi, Saronida and Anavyssos as the wildfire in the Kouvaras region moved close to homes in the area, the Kathimerini newspaper reported.

Demand for power in Texas is expected to reach record highs this week as homes and businesses run their air conditioners full blast.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates a grid that represents about 90% of the state’s power load and serves 26 million customers, has said it has enough resources to meet soaring demand.

Texas residents have worried about extreme weather and their power supplies since a deadly storm in February 2021 left millions without power, water and heat for days as ERCOT struggled to prevent a grid collapse after the shutdown of an unusually large amount of generation.

Meteorologists at AccuWeather forecast high temperatures in Houston, the biggest city in Texas, would hit at least 37.8C (100F) every day from July 17 to 21. That compares with a normal high of  34.4C (94F) for this time of year.

At least 40 people have been killed and 34 injured as heavy downpours lash South Korea for a ninth day.

Rescue workers struggled to search for survivors in landslides, buckled homes and swamped vehicles in the most destructive storm to hit the country this year.

South Korea is in the peak of its summer monsoon season and has been battered by heavy rains since July 9. The downpours have caused widespread flooding and landslides, mostly in the country’s central and southern regions.

Tropical storm Talim strengthened into a typhoon early on Monday and is set to be the first to make landfall in China this year, prompting authorities to issue flood warnings, cancel flights and trains, and order people to stay at home.

The China Meteorological Administration said the typhoon was expected to increase in intensity to become “severe” by the time it makes landfall at night along the southern coast between Guangdong and Hainan.

The storm will hit China just one day after the country recorded its highest temperature 52C (126F).

The Italian health ministry issued 10 recommendations to protect elderly people, the sick and pets from the heat, urging people to stay indoors during the hottest hours, drink at least 1.5 litres (0.4 gallons) of water a day and refrain from strenuous exercise at peak daylight times.

Local celebrities went on state-run RAI television to read the recommendations aloud, in hopes of spreading the message.

Power outages have hit parts of Rome as electric grids suffered under heavier demand from air conditioners as people sought relief.

Due to the expected heatwave that will last through next week, the Italian health ministry has issued a red alert for 16 cities, including Rome, Bologna, and Florence. According to Italian media, Sardinia will experience a temperature of 48°C (118.4°F). This is not "normal". pic.twitter.com/y2jiAoqgBQ

— Peter Dynes (@PGDynes) July 15, 2023

Warm weather affecting displaced people living in camps in northwest Syria has exacerbated the suffering of those living in tents, which lack cooling mechanisms and are made of nylon fabric that intensifies the reflected heat.

Hazem al-Hajji, a 30-year-old living in one of the camps near the Syrian-Turkish border, told Al Jazeera: “Our children endure more than they can bear. As soon as the freezing cold of winter is gone, they are struck by the scorching summer that exhausts their frail bodies.”

The high temperatures have led many people in the region to seek public pools, considered safer than other bodies of water.

As temperatures eased on Monday, Greece was offered a brief respite from the extreme heat that has engulfed the country over the past week.

The Acropolis in Athens resumed its regular opening hours after closing for three days during the hottest time of the day.

However, a new heatwave is expected from Thursday, and meteorologists warned of a heightened risk of wildfires amid strengthening winds from the Aegean Sea.

The World Meteorological Organisation, a UN agency, has warned in a tweet that “temperature records may be broken” during the ongoing heatwave.

Mediterranean countries continue to bake in an intense heatwave, and temperature records may be broken. Heed the warnings and advice from national meteorologists to stay safe. Map via @CopernicusECMWF #StateOfClimate

🔗https://t.co/wHR6Vgg7UA pic.twitter.com/qvBrgSOfE0

— World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) July 17, 2023

Currently, the highest officially registered temperature is 56.7C (134F), recorded in California’s Death Valley back in 1913.

The hottest known temperature in Africa is 55C (131F), recorded in Kebili, Tunisia in 1931. Iran holds the record for Asia’s hottest official temperature of 54C (129F), recorded in 2017.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Europe was 48.8C (119.8F) on the Italian island of Sicily on August 11, 2021. On July 19, 2022, the United Kingdom recorded its highest-ever temperature, reaching 40.2C (104.4F), according to its Meteorological Office.