Tag Archives: heat

Arab region pushed to limits by climate extremes as 2024 smashes heat records

Posted on by
Reply

The World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) first State of the Climate in the Arab Region report paints a stark picture of a region under constant pressure from rising temperatures and increasingly extreme weather.

The UN agency noted that “a number of countries [in the Arab region] reported temperatures of above 50°C (122°F) last year, while average regional temperatures for 2024 were 1.08°C higher than from 1991 to 2020.

Highlighting the significance of this data, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo noted that scorching temperatures marked by intense and longer-lasting heatwaves “are pushing society to the limits…it is simply too hot to handle,” she said.

“Human health, ecosystems and economies can’t cope with extended spells of more than 50°C,” the WMO chief continued. “Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe in one of the world’s most water-stressed regions. And at the same time, we have seen some disruptive and dangerous deluges.”

Hostile climate

The UN report indicates an 83 per cent rise in recorded disasters in Arab nations between 1980-1999 and from 2000-2019. 

In addition to record-breaking heat, the region – which encompasses 15 of the world’s most water-scarce countries – has endured dust storms, prolonged drought and destructive floods.

Drought worsened in 2024 in western North Africa after six consecutive failed rainy seasons, especially over Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, WMO said. Whereas in otherwise arid countries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, extreme rainfall and flash floods caused death and destruction. 

These weather shocks have deepened pressure on communities already grappling with conflict, rapid population growth, urbanisation and economic fragility. WMO warned that without stronger adaptation measures, these pressures will only intensify as temperatures continue their rapid upward trajectory.

• 2024 was the Arab region’s hottest year on record
• Temperatures rising nearly twice global average
• Heat, drought and extreme rain all intensified last year
• Nearly 60 per cent of Arab countries now have early warning systems
• WMO urges greater coordination on climate action

These rising extremes are already reshaping daily life across the Arab region where water shortages are worsening as higher temperatures accelerate evaporation and strain groundwater reserves.

Daily life imperilled

Urban centres face growing threats to energy provision, transport networks and public health, particularly for people working outdoors or living in informal housing. In rural areas, prolonged drought is eroding food production and forcing difficult trade-offs between agriculture, domestic water use and environmental protection.

Claire Ransom, Associate Scientific Officer at WMO’s Climate Monitoring & Policy Section, stressed that extreme heat is only of many extreme weather threats. “Dust storms, severe flooding, and other climate extremes placed immense pressure on communities all across the region in 2024, disrupting lives and impacting millions of people,” she said.

These events have inflicted major economic losses, displacing families, damaging crops and overwhelming emergency response systems, which are unevenly distributed across the region.

Coordinated action

Despite these challenges, the WMO assessment identifies areas of progress. Many countries have expanded preparedness systems and begun investing more strategically in adaptation. “There is progress; nearly 60 per cent of Arab countries now have multi-hazard early warning systems in place, and many are prioritizing water security strategies to cope with the mounting climate risks that we’ve seen in 2024 and beyond,” Ms. Ransom said.

While adaptation efforts are growing, the report concludes that only swift, sustained and collaborative action will be enough to prevent the harsh climate of 2024 from becoming the new normal.

Pressure for coordinated solutions is mounting as temperatures climb. The combination of extreme heat, water scarcity and fast-growing populations is amplifying existing vulnerabilities and threatening development goals across multiple countries. Many governments already struggle to maintain essential services during heatwaves, while poorer communities face the greatest risks from both rising temperatures and worsening storms.

“The key message from the report is clear. The Arab region really stands on the front lines of climate change, and timely information and coordinated action are no longer optional. They’re absolutely essential,” Ms. Ransom said.

The report was produced by the UN agency in partnership with the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and the League of Arab States. It is the first climate assessment dedicated entirely to the Arab region and aims to provide actionable science-based information to support decision-makers in the water-scarce region.

UN agencies warn of rising heat stress risks for workers worldwide

Posted on by
Reply

The new joint report, Climate change and workplace heat stress, underscores the mounting risks as climate change fuels longer, more extreme, and more frequent heatwaves.

Stressing that workers in agriculture, construction, and fisheries are already suffering the impacts of dangerous temperatures, the report points out that vulnerable groups in developing countries – including children, older adults, and low-income communities – face increasing dangers.

“Heat stress is already harming the health and livelihoods of billions of workers, especially in the most vulnerable communities,” said Dr. Jeremy Farrar, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Care.

“This new guidance offers practical, evidence-based solutions to protect lives, reduce inequality, and build more resilient workforces in a warming world”, he added.

Drawing on five decades of research, the report highlights how rising temperatures are hitting both health and productivity.

WMO confirmed that 2024 was the hottest year on record, at 1.55 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures, and with daytime highs above 40 °C becoming commonplace – and in some areas, even exceeding 50 °C. 

“Occupational heat stress has become a global societal challenge, which is no longer confined to countries located close to the equator – as highlighted by the recent heatwave in Europe,” said Ko Barrett, WMO Deputy Secretary-General. “Protection of workers from extreme heat is not just a health imperative but an economic necessity.”

Alarming findings

The report details how extreme heat is reshaping the world of work. It finds that worker productivity drops by 2 to 3 per cent for every degree above 20°C.

The health consequences are wide-ranging, including heatstroke, dehydration, kidney dysfunction, and neurological disorders. Overall, nearly half of the world’s population is now experiencing negative effects from high temperatures.

Path forward

Calling for urgent occupational heat action plans tailored to industries and regions, WHO and WMO guidance includes several recommendations:

  • Develop targeted occupational heat-health policies based on local weather and workforce vulnerabilities.
  • Prioritize protections for middle-aged and older workers, those with chronic health conditions, and individuals with lower physical fitness.
  • Train health professionals, employers, and workers to recognize and treat heat stress, which is often misdiagnosed.
  • Involve workers, unions, and local authorities in shaping heat-health strategies.
  • Promote affordable, sustainable, and scalable solutions, alongside innovation and new technologies.
  • Strengthen research and monitoring to ensure measures remain effective.

The guidance builds on International Labour Organization (ILO) findings that more than 2.4 billion workers are exposed to excessive heat globally, resulting in over 22.85 million occupational injuries each year.

‘Critical milestone’

“This report represents a critical milestone in our collective response to the growing threat of extreme heat in the world of work,” said Joaquim Pintado Nunes, ILO Chief of Occupational Safety and Health and the Working Environment.

“Aligned with the ILO’s mandate to promote safe and healthy working environments as a fundamental right, it offers robust, evidence-based guidance to help governments, employers and workers confront the escalating risks of climate change.”

A call to action

Both UN agencies stress that addressing heat stress is central to safeguarding lives, livelihoods, and economies. The guidance supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), urging decisive action to protect vulnerable workers, reduce poverty, and promote sustainable growth.

Urgent and coordinated action is no longer optional – it is essential, the report says.

Extreme heat is breaking records worldwide: UN weather agency

Posted on by
Reply

Extreme temperatures caused approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths annually between 2000 and 2019, with 36 per cent occurring in Europe and 45 per cent in Asia.

The health impacts of heat are especially severe in cities due to the so-called ‘urban heat island effect’ – the over-heating of dense city areas compared with their rural surroundings – which is magnifying problems as urbanisation continues.  

Amid rising 21st-century temperatures, the WMO underscored that July 2025 was the third-warmest July ever recorded, behind those in 2023 and 2024.  

European heat streak

In this record-breaking July, heatwaves especially impacted Sweden and Finland, which experienced unusually long spells of temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

Southeast Europe also faced heatwaves and wildfire activity, with Türkiye recording an extreme new national high of 50.5 degrees Celsius (122.9 degrees Fahrenheit).

Asia, North Africa, United States

In Asia, temperatures soared above average the most across the Himalayas, China and Japan in July, with extreme heat continuing into August.

In the week leading up to 5 August, temperatures surpassed 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) across West Asia, southern Central Asia, the southwestern US, much of North Africa and southern Pakistan – with some areas exceeding 45 degrees Celsius (114 degrees Fahrenheit).

Parts of southwestern Iran and eastern Iraq saw particularly severe temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), disrupting electricity and water supplies, education and labor.

For the week of 4 August, Morocco issued heat warnings for temperatures up to 47 degrees Celsius (116 degrees Fahrenheit).

Korea also issued widespread heat warnings, as station temperature records were broken across parts of China.

In Japan, a new national temperature record of 41.8 degrees Celsius (107.2 degrees Fahrenheit) was set on 5 August, breaking the previous record of 41.2 degrees Celsius set a week prior.

Looking ahead

Looking to next week, the World Meteorological Centre in Beijing forecasts that heatwaves will persist across the same regions as well as the Iberian Peninsula and northern Mexico.

These regions are expected to see maximum temperatures between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius (100.4 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit), with parts of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, North Africa and the southwestern U.S. likely to exceed 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit).

Canadian wildfires

As Canada experiences one of its worst wildfire seasons on record, with 6.6 million hectares burned, smoke has polluted skies and caused poor air quality across several provinces and northern states of the US in late July and early August.

Twice this summer, smoke from Canadian fires crossed the Atlantic, affecting skies over Western Europe from 5–7 August and over Central and Southern Europe in late June.

Elsewhere, Cyprus, Greece and Türkiye have battled wildfires that forced evacuations and caused fatalities. In the US, a wildfire in Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park disrupted tourism at the iconic site.

‘No longer an excuse’

“Extreme heat is sometimes called the silent killer, but with today’s science, data and technologies, silence is no longer an excuse. Every single death from extreme heat is preventable,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett.  

The WMO is working to strengthen heat early warning systems under the Early Warnings for All initiative. In collaboration with global and local partners, it is also helping countries develop heat-health action plans and ensure at-risk populations receive timely alerts.

WMO is also one of ten UN agencies supporting the Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat, which aims to boost global cooperation to reduce heat impacts through economic and social policy. A key focus is limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement.

According to estimates from WMO and the World Health Organization (WHO), scaling up heat-health warning systems in 57 countries alone could save nearly 100,000 lives annually.

“Our Network is connecting science, policy, and action so that no community is left behind in the race to adapt to climate change that will continue to worsen extreme heat for years to come,” said Joy Shumake-Guillemot, lead of the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Programme and co-lead of the Global Heat-Health Information Network (GHHIN).

“This is not just a climate issue, it’s a public health emergency,” she concluded. 

Sudan gripped by deadly crisis as hunger, disease and heat intensify

Posted on by
Reply

In El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur that has been under siege for 15 months, the catastrophic humanitarian situation is worsening. Food shortages and soaring prices have forced community-run kitchens to shut down. Widespread hunger and malnutrition have reportedly caused several deaths and driven some residents to eat animal feed.

In the Tawila locality of North Darfur, humanitarian organizations have had to strengthen their responses to rising cholera cases. They have expanded the capacities of treatment centres, but needs remain dire. With medical supplies running low, clean water supplies and the construction of latrines are urgent necessities.

In East Darfur state, the Lagawa displacement site, hosting over 7,000 people, is facing severe food shortages and repeated armed attacks. Doctors are warning that the ongoing conflict continues to block the delivery of aid, so vulnerable families are left without access to food or healthcare.

Extreme heat and torrential rains

Meanwhile, floods and storms are displacing families and destroying homes across the country.  

In the Rahad locality of North Kordofan state, heavy rains on Monday displaced around 550 people and damaged or destroyed more than 170 homes.

Torrential rains in the eastern state of Kasssala have devastated the Gharb Almatar displacement site, affecting more than 6,000 people. Many tents were flooded, exposing children to cold, hunger and unsanitary conditions. Displaced families urgently need cash assistance, shelter and protection.

In the coastal city of Port Sudan, extreme heat continues to endanger lives, with three reported deaths and 50 cases of sunstroke this week amid soaring temperatures and widespread power outages.  

As temperatures reach 47 degrees Celsius (116.6 degrees Fahrenheit), overwhelmed hospitals are prompting health workers to call for urgent support, including cooling equipment, medical supplies and personnel.

Call for increased funding

With these crises compounding, international support is desperately needed. The 2025 response plan, which seeks $4.2 billion to assist 21 million of the most vulnerable people across Sudan, is only 23 per cent funded to date.

OCHA once again calls on international donors to scale up funding for the response. 

Source link