Nearly five billion people worldwide, including 619 million from India, experienced extreme heat driven by climate change over nine days in June. This startling statistic comes from a new analysis by Climate Central, an independent group of US-based scientists. The report highlights the severity of the heatwave, which affected millions across various countries, including China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, Bangladesh, the US, Europe, Mexico, Ethiopia, and Egypt.
Climate Change: The Driving Force
"More than 60 percent of the world population faced extreme heat that was made at least three times more likely by climate change during June 16-24," the report states. Andrew Pershing, chief program officer at Climate Central, emphasized, "More than a century of burning coal, oil, and natural gas has given us an increasingly dangerous world. The heat waves around the world this summer are unnatural disasters that will become more common until carbon pollution stops."
The Role of the Climate Shift Index
Climate Central's Climate Shift Index (CSI) determines the influence of climate change on temperatures around the globe. Between June 16-24, 4.97 billion people experienced extreme heat reaching CSI levels of at least 3, indicating that climate change made these temperatures at least three times more likely to occur.
India: A Nation Under Siege
India faced one of its hottest and longest heatwaves, recording over 40,000 suspected heatstroke cases and more than 100 heat-related deaths. The intense heat overwhelmed the country's water supply system and power grids, with Delhi grappling with a severe water crisis. The India Meteorological Department reported that around 40 percent of the country experienced double the number of heatwave days than usual during the April to June period. Temperatures breached 50 degrees Celsius in parts of Rajasthan, with nighttime temperatures hovering around 35 degrees Celsius in many places. In Delhi, which logged 40 consecutive days of temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius since May 13, around 60 heat-related deaths were reported this year.
A Global Phenomenon
The heatwave's impact was not confined to India. In Saudi Arabia, at least 1,300 people died from heat-related illnesses during the annual Haj pilgrimage, with some cities surpassing 50 degrees Celsius. Climate Central's analysis found that the city of Mecca experienced temperatures made at least three times more likely due to climate change every day since May 18, and five times more likely since May 24. A previous analysis by climate scientists at Climameter, an EU-funded initiative, found that climate change made the heatwave in Saudi Arabia up to 2.5 degrees Celsius hotter.
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The US also suffered two back-to-back heat episodes during the last two weeks of June, affecting the southern part of the country, Mexico, and countries in Central America. In Mexico, at least 125 people died, with temperatures reaching 52 degrees Celsius in the Sonora state on June 21. A study by the World Weather Attribution group found that climate change made the extreme heat of May and June 35 times more likely. In Egypt, high temperatures nearing 50 degrees Celsius have been recorded in recent days. In the southern province of Aswan, at least 40 people have died. The high temperatures have caused a surge in energy consumption across the country, forcing the government to impose daily power cuts to avoid overloading the electrical grid.
Inputs by Agencies
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