Page 9 - Heatwave

Lok Sabha polls 2024: ECI issues advisory for voter safety against heatwave

Following the heatwave alert issued by the IMD, the Election Commission has asked officials to take precautionary measures to tackle the heat wave impact during polls

Climate change blamed as Europe's cities see heat waves in Autumn

London, which endured some cold and bleak weather during the summer, is forecast to reach at least 22C on three of the next five days, while Paris climbs to 26C on Tuesday

Searing temperature fast becoming a threat to global fuel security

In addition to causing spikes in electricity demand as people fire up air conditioners, the scorching temperatures have led to a spate of disruptions at oil refineries

Lowest emission nations hit hardest by heat in June-Aug period: Analysis

Countries with the lowest historical emissions experienced three to four times higher than seasonal temperatures this June-August days than G20 countries, according to an analysis conducted by an independent US-based group of scientists using a metric called the Climate Shift Index (CSI). The three-month June-August 2023 season was the warmest on record globally and the analysis by Climate Central indicates that human-caused climate change made the unprecedented heat far more likely across the globe. CSI measures how often and how much temperatures have shifted from the historical average. A higher index indicates more dramatic changes compared to the past. The CSI levels above 1 indicate climate change, while levels between 2 and 5 mean that climate change made those temperatures between two to five times more likely. During the June-August period, nearly half (48 per cent) of the world's population experienced at least 30 days with a CSI level 3 or higher, Climate Central said in

Risk of fatal heatwaves rises sharply over 2 decades, finds study

The risk of fatal heat waves has risen sharply over the past 20 years, and such extreme weather will become more frequent in the future, increasing heat-related excess mortality, a study shows. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found that Europe will be particularly affected. Heat waves of the kind we are currently experiencing are particularly deadly for the elderly, the sick and the poor, the researchers said. The 2003 heat wave, which saw temperatures in Europe reach 47.5 degrees Celsius, was one of the worst natural disasters of recent decades, claiming an estimated 45,000 to 70,000 victims in the space of a few weeks, they said. The researchers from ETH Zurich in Switzerland found that such heat waves could become the new norm in the coming years. Since 2013, they have been systematically collecting data on daily heat-related excess mortality for 748 cities and communities in 47 countries in Europe, Southeast Asia, Latin America, the US and Canada. T

Climate change: Life-threatening heat forcing Germany to ramp up defences

The country is already experiencing some of the worst-case effects of rising temperatures. Roughly 1,600 people have died this year as a result of the heat

July was hottest month on record by far, European scientists confirm

Now that July's sizzling numbers are all in, the European climate monitoring organisation made it official: July 2023 was Earth's hottest month on record by a wide margin. July's global average temperature of 16.95 degrees Celsius (62.51 degrees Fahrenheit) was a third of a degree Celsius (six tenths of a degree Fahrenheit) higher than the previous record set in 2019, Copernicus Climate Change Service, a division of the European Union's space programme, announced Tuesday. Normally global temperature records are broken by hundredths or a tenth of a degree, so this margin is unusual. These records have dire consequences for both people and the planet exposed to ever more frequent and intense extreme events," said Copernicus deputy director Samantha Burgess. There have been deadly heat waves in the Southwestern United States and Mexico, Europe and Asia. Scientific quick studies put the blame on human-caused climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas. Days in July hav

Parts of national capital likely to receive moderate rainfall, says IMD

Delhi on Friday recorded a minimum temperature of 26.6 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal, and parts of the city are likely to receive moderate rainfall during the day, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The relative humidity was 85 per cent around 8:30 am. The national capital is likely to witness generally cloudy skies during the day and moderate rain is likely in parts of the city. The maximum temperature in the national capital is expected to settle at 35 degrees Celsius, the IMD said. Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 71, in the 'satisfactory' category, around 8:40 am, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) data showed. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

Global warming: An overheating planet requires extreme solutions

Rising causes of death would include not just heat itself but exposure to ground-level ozone, malaria, dengue, and West Nile virus

Nearly 200 mn under heat, flood advisories as US braces for severe storms

Nearly 200 million people in the United States, or 60% of the U.S. population, are under a heat advisory or flood warning or watch as high temperatures spread and new areas are told to expect severe storms. The National Weather Service said a dangerous heat wave began to scorch the Northeast and mid-Atlantic on Thursday and will continue into the weekend. Severe thunderstorms and flash floods are possible for parts of the Northeast and South, New England and South Florida. Meanwhile, the string of record-breaking temperatures will persist for the Southwest and Midwest. It's (hitting) all the big cities, said Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. That's why the population (affected) is so high. Scientists have long warned that climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, will lead to more and prolonged bouts of extreme weather. The prediction for continued excessive heat comes a day after the World Meteorological ...

Biden to take steps to provide relief from heat amid high temperatures

With heat waves spreading across the United States, President Joe Biden on Thursday announced new steps to protect workers including a hazard alert notifying employers and employees about ways to stay protected from extreme heat as well as measures to improve weather forecasts and make drinking water more accessible. The actions come as nearly 40 per cent of the US population faces heat advisories, according to the National Weather Service. High temperatures have already scorched the Southwest this month, and more heat is expected in the Midwest and the Northeast in the coming days. Washington won't be spared, and the heat index in the capital could reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit or 43 degrees Celsius on Friday. It's a worldwide problem, and scientists calculate that July will be the hottest month on record. Noting that ocean temperatures near Miami topped 100 F (38 C), Biden said "that's more like jumping in a hot tub than jumping into the ocean to ride a wave.'' Citing federal d

July heat waves 'virtually impossible' without climate change: Scientists

The return of the El Nino cycle, which warms the equatorial Pacific Ocean, plays a role in the recent heat. But the report is evidence that it can't be attributed to El Nino alone

Extreme heat and weather conditions attributed to stagnant jet stream

Powerful weather forces are combining to create the planet-wide conditions, and there's unlikely to be relief from the scorching temperatures anytime soon

Delhi may suffer losses of Rs 2.75 trn by 2050 due to climate change

Delhi is projected to suffer losses of Rs 2.75 trillion by 2050 due to the impacts of climate change, with changes in precipitation and temperature patterns posing significant threats to the lives of the most vulnerable populations. The warning comes from the city government's draft action plan on climate change. The plan, which is pending approval, highlights "heat waves/higher temperature and heavy precipitation events over fewer number of days" as major challenges that the city will confront in the upcoming years. India introduced its National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in 2008, following which state governments were instructed to create their own action plans. The State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) must be aligned with the strategies laid out in the NAPCC. In January 2018, the central government directed the states to revise and strengthen their SAPCCs, taking into account the evolving national and international climate action, science and policy ...

Madrid, Rome shut down tourist places as temperature rises to 40 degrees

The high heat in the continent is a result of an anti-cyclonic high pressure system, named 'Cerberus' by the Italian Meteorological Society

Tokyo's heat smashes 150-year trend as extreme weather bakes globe

The hottest place in country was Kiryu, a city about two hours north of Tokyo, where the maximum temperature hit 39.7C over the weekend. Japan's all-time record is 41.1C

US Southwest swelters under dangerous heat wave, with new records on track

A dangerous heat wave threatened a wide swath of the Southwest with potentially deadly temperatures in the triple digits on Saturday as some cooling centers planned to extend their hours and emergency rooms prepared to treat more people will heat-related illnesses. Near record temperatures are expected this weekend!" the National Weather Service in Phoenix warned in a tweet, advising people to follow its heat safety tips such as drinking plenty of water and checking on family members and neighbours. Don't be a statistic! the weather service in Tucson advised, noting that extreme heat can be deadly. It CAN happen to YOU! About 200 hydration stations distributing bottles of water and cooling centers where thousands of people can rest in air conditioned spaces opened Saturday morning in public spaces like libraries, churches and businesses around the Phoenix metro area. Charles Sanders spent Friday afternoon with his Chihuahua mix Babygirl at the air-conditioned Justa Center, which ..

Earth sizzled to global heat record in June, July: Meteorologists

An already warming Earth steamed to its hottest June on record, smashing the old global mark by nearly a quarter of a degree (0.13 degrees Celsius), with global oceans setting temperature records for the third straight month, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday. June's 61.79 degrees (16.55 degrees Celsius) global average was 1.89 degrees (1.05 degrees Celsius) above the 20th Century average, the first time globally a summer month was more than a degree Celsius hotter than normal, according to NOAA. Other weather monitoring systems, such as NASA, Berkeley Earth and Europe's Copernicus, had already called last month the hottest June on record, but NOAA is the gold standard for record-keeping with data going back 174 years to 1850. The increase over the last June's record is a considerably big jump because usually global monthly records are so broad based they often jump by hundredths not quarters of a degree, said NOAA climate scientist Ahira ...

Beijing orders outdoor work to be halted as scorching summer heat soars

Employers in Beijing were ordered on Thursday by the government to stop outdoor work after scorching summer heat in the Chinese capital was forecast to reach 40 degrees centigrade (104 Fahrenheit). Government departments were ordered to ensure the elderly and ill could stay cool after the city of 22 million people issued a red alert, the highest level of a warning system for extreme temperatures. The government reported on Monday that Beijing recorded 10 days of temperatures above 35 C (95 F), the longest streak of its kind since 1961. Relevant departments and units shall take emergency measures for heatstroke prevention and cooling, said a city government notice. It told employers to stop outdoor operations. At the same time, flooding has forced thousands of people to flee their homes in southern China. The government on Wednesday issued an alert for possible flash flooding in Inner Mongolia in the north, Heilongjiang in the northeast and Tibet and Sichuan in the southwest.

Flooding displaces 10,000 in China as Beijing amid major heatvave

Heavy flooding has displaced thousands of people around China as the capital had a brief respite from sweltering heat. Beijing reported 9.8 straight days when the temperature exceeded 35 C (95 F), the National Climate Center said Monday. Such a streak was last recorded in 1961 decades before most Beijing residents had air conditioning or even fans. A lack of rainfall may be contributing to the heat, with the notoriously dry capital receiving even less than usual this year. While temperatures have since moderated Monday's temperature at midday was 33 C (91 F) they are expected to rise again this week to as high as 39.6 Celsius (103 Fahrenheit) in Beijing and other parts of the country, authorities said. Meanwhile, more than 10,000 people were urgently moved to safety due to flooding in the central province of Hunan, the Xiang'xi Emergency Management Bureau on Sunday. Around 70 houses collapsed, 2,283 were damaged and farm fields were flooded. Losses so far have been estimated at