In recent times, many countries around the world have experienced extreme high temperatures, which will bring health risks and survival crises to many people. Meteorologists say that 2024 is likely to surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record.
At a critical moment in India's general election, the country's meteorological department issued a red warning for high temperatures to several northern regions on Monday, forcing voters in some areas to brave temperatures close to 45 degrees Celsius to reach polling stations.
The Indian meteorological department has issued a statement stating that there will be heatwaves or extreme heatwaves in areas such as Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana on Monday, which may continue until Tuesday. The Indian meteorological department has also issued a high temperature yellow warning for North Arkansas, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.
The highest temperature in Pelodi, located in Rajasthan, was 50 degrees Celsius last Sunday, which was the highest temperature in India on that day and the highest value measured in the country since June 2019.
A meteorologist from the Indian meteorological department said that in the next 3 to 5 days, the high temperatures in Delhi, Punjab, and Rajasthan will not ease, and temperatures may drop thereafter.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Agency announced on Monday that temperatures in the southern province of Sindh in Pakistan have risen to over 52 degrees Celsius in the ongoing heatwave, which is the highest temperature this summer and close to the country's all-time high.
The highest recorded temperature in Pakistan was in 2017, when the temperature in Turbat, located in the southwest of Balochistan Province, rose to 54 degrees Celsius. Sardar Sarfaraz, the chief meteorologist of Pakistan's meteorological department, pointed out that this is the second hottest weather in Asia and the fourth hottest in the world.
An international team of scientists has stated that extreme temperatures across Asia have intensified over the past month, which is likely the result of human driven climate change. The highest recorded temperature in Pakistan was in 2017, when the temperature in Turbat, located in the southwest of Balochistan Province, rose to 54 degrees Celsius.
In addition, the National Meteorological Agency of Mexico stated that the Tacubaya Observatory in Mexico City recorded the highest temperature on record last Saturday afternoon. This observation station recorded a high temperature of 34.4 degrees Celsius last Friday, but the record was set the next day.
The persistent drought has affected more than 70% of Mexico to varying degrees, and nearly one-third of the country's areas are experiencing extreme drought. This severe drought has exacerbated the impact of heat waves, leading to water scarcity and further tightening the already limited resources in the country.
The Mexican government stated that since March this year, 48 people have died in the country due to strong heat waves. The state of Veracruz on the eastern coast has the highest number of deaths, with 14 people, followed by Tabasco, San Luis Podosi, and Tamaulibati, with 8 people each killed.
After extreme high temperature, it may soon be replaced by other types of bad weather, including rainstorm, hail, and even cyclone, especially in central Mexico.
Scientists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico have recently warned that record breaking high temperatures may occur in Mexico City in the next two weeks. Mexican President Roberto Obrado described this year's high temperatures as an abnormal phenomenon, saying it is a regrettable natural phenomenon related to climate change.
Officials from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center have stated that considering the rate of extreme heat rise, governments around the world need to take action to adapt to soaring temperatures and minimize health risks, especially among vulnerable groups.