Deadly heat grips the globe

"BRUTAL" EUROPE: After registering Europe's highest recorded temperature of 48.8°C in 2021, Sicily must again turn away tourists as "brutal heat" led to crops and livestock being slaughtered, the Times reported. Elsewhere in Europe, a forest fire near Athens forced dozens of people to leave their homes in Greece, Reuters reported. Officials said the fire was the result of arson and spread quickly in hot, dry conditions, the newswire added.

SOUTH ASIA: At least 110 people have died and 40,000 have suffered suspected heatstroke as the widespread and intense heat continues to lash 50 %s of northwest India, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported. Delhi recorded its highest minimum temperature in a 55-year-old record this week, with night temperatures not dropping below 35.2 degrees Celsius, The Hind reported. Reuters reported that a senior government official said "Indian cities have become heat traps" due to unbalanced urban growth that reduces water availability.

EAST ASIA: Meanwhile, the state-run China Daily newspaper reported that the nation "is experiencing more frequent and intense heatwaves due to global warming," according to China's National Climate Center. He added that the average start date of a heat wave has advanced by 2.5 days per decade. The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported that extreme weather continued in China this week, including deadly torrential rains and drought.

DEADLY PILGRIMAGE: In the Middle East, more than 1,000 Hajj pilgrims have reportedly died amid heatwaves in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Sky News reported. Agence France-Presse reported that temperatures in Mecca reached 51.8C as around 1.8 million people took part in the "day-long, mostly outdoor" pilgrimage. She added that the death toll is expected to rise further as many continue to search for family members.

US OVEN: Tens of millions of people in the US were subject to dangerous heat warnings this week, as some cities faced record temperatures, the AP reported. The Guardian reported that around 80 % of the country's population were experiencing "the kind of heat not seen for decades", which brought extended periods of temperatures above 32.2C, "under a weather phenomenon known as the heat dome". (EMMA HANCOX, more at carbonbrief.com)