Extreme and global heat: a chronicle of the hottest days on the planet

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The impact of temperatures in the U.S., Asia and Europe as summer weather moves into the unknown




This summer is not like previous ones. It started with the warmest June on the planet since records began 174 years ago, but then it has gone from strength to strength. According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, the first 15 days of July have probably been the 15 warmest days on Earth since at least 1979 (although the same is estimated to occur much earlier in time).


Daily global temperature

In red, evolution in 2023


In the past week, this has coincided with several simultaneous heat waves in the northern hemisphere that have set records in very different parts of the world. On July 16, the Sanbao weather station in the Chinese town of Turpan measured 52.2°, the highest temperature ever recorded in this Asian country. At the same time, thermometers in the United States reached 53.3° in Death Valley National Park (California) and broke the record for days above 43° in Phoenix (Arizona). Extreme heat also hit Europe, where it has reached 46.3° in Licata (Italy) or 45.4° in Figueres (Spain). This last heat wave ended in Spain with 40 new records and the surprising record of the Catalan town, which became the northernmost point of the Peninsula to exceed 45°.



This exceptional heat, which is also affecting the seas, with extreme warming of the North Atlantic, comes at the beginning of the onset of the El Niño phenomenon, which meteorologists expect to further complicate the situation. "Coupled with climate change caused by human activities, it will raise global temperatures to unknown limits," warned the secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Petteri Taalas, in May. Climatologists have been insisting all summer: climate is pushing the planet into uncharted territory.


Daily sea surface temperature
In red, evolution in 2023




The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that, for every 0.5° increase in global average temperature, there will be clearly perceptible increases in the intensity and frequency of hot extremes, including heat waves. The WMO secretary general warned that "we need to redouble our efforts to help society adapt to what is unfortunately becoming the new normal".

Greece: fire and cancellations


In Athens, it is normal these days for small businesses to close or change their opening hours to open later. This week, people were only seen on the streets in the tourist areas. At the Acropolis, they hand out free bottles of water to tourists to avoid heat stroke, except on the hottest days when the archaeological sites are closed. Although 2023 is not meeting tourism expectations - hoteliers, who predicted a record season, say they are experiencing a wave of cancellations - millions of tourists are coping with the heat as best they can.

The Emergency Meteorological Bulletin, prepared by the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, warns of a succession of heat waves from mid-July until at least August. In central Greece it is over 44°, in the capital it is 42°. They would not be extreme temperatures at this time if they were peaks; what was unusual, until recently, are so many days in a row with so much heat.

The most popular drink in Greece is freddo espresso, a strong coffee, shaken to make it frothy, to which a lot of ice is added. Tourists confuse it with frappé, another form that was popular decades ago. Although it is drunk all year round, even in winter, at this time of year the consumption of freddo spreads to all social strata and all places, from beaches to offices, police stations, kiosks or, of course, coffee shops.
Unfortunately, it is common for violent forest fires to accompany the heatwave days. On July 18, fire began to ravage forested areas of Attica that survived those of previous years. The following days more fires started. On the night of July 19-20, the closest fire illuminated the capital with reddish light from the Parnes, one of the three mountain massifs surrounding Athens.

More than 2,000 people were evacuated Saturday by boat from the tourist island of Rhodes because of a fire that has been raging out of control for five days. Three coast guard vessels have guided more than 30 private boats for the evacuation operation.

Italy: emergency phone number


The maximum heat peak in Italy occurred on Wednesday, when temperatures reached up to 45° in different parts of the country. Rome reached record temperatures, bordering on 42°, and as many as 23 cities had to decree a red alert. Temperatures began to drop on Thursday from the north of the country, but in the south they continue to punish the population and tourists who at this time of year crowd the country.

The center of Rome, precisely, was much emptier than usual at this time of year on Friday. Despite the fact that tourism is up about 10% compared to last year, the heat has forced many visitors to stay sheltered in hotels until late. "It is true that this week it has been noticeable. And it's normal: it's even dangerous to go out at this hour," explained one of the cashiers at the Colosseum on Friday lunchtime.

The Italian Ministry of Health set up an emergency telephone number, active since Wednesday, to signal alarms. Several people, however, have already been victims of heat stroke. The last one, a 63-year-old baker in Padua, died of complications caused by the temperature rise. Animals in zoos are also under observation. The Bioparco in Rome has distributed ice cream and frozen fruit to help them mitigate the high temperatures.


China: highest temperature on record


In many parts of China the sun also beats down with power and life has become almost unviable outside. Heat waves have been sweeping across the Asian giant since June, and several regions have experienced the hottest cycles in decades, which have come earlier and have been more scattered and extreme than in previous years, according to meteorologists quoted by the official Xinhua news agency.

A few days ago, in Turpan, China's largest depression, a frying pan located in the desert region of Xinjiang, the heat was already sweltering with about 40° at midday. Tourists at the Jiaohe ruins covered themselves with umbrellas and slowly made their way between the ancient dry-earth houses carved into the rock of this oasis. If one survived the visit it was thanks to the merchants offering pieces of watermelon and melon in the shade. A few days later, last Sunday, the highest temperature ever recorded in China was reached in Sanbao, a locality of Turpan: 52.2°. In the so-called flaming mountains, a beautiful chain of promontories that look like flames, the earth's surface reached 80°.

On Wednesday, the capital, Beijing, exceeded 35° for the 28th time this year, the highest number of days since records began. Many choose to cover up with lightweight technical clothing to protect them from the radiation. "Normally by now I would have changed the displays, but this year it's so hot that I haven't done it yet because there are still customers," says a saleswoman selling these garments at her stall in the Yiwu International Market, the world's largest wholesale center. Next to the counter, she packs masks and explains the peculiarities of a genre that is becoming increasingly popular in China.

Japan: alerts and hospitalizations


More than 3,900 Japanese were hospitalized between July 3 and 9, according to Japanese authorities. This week, Japan has issued alerts for temperatures above 35° in 32 of the country's 47 prefectures; Tokyo's thermometers were already above 30° at six o'clock on Tuesday morning.

Countries across Asia have been hit by several episodes of unprecedented heat, a situation that has fueled concerns about whether these nations will have the capacity to adapt to extreme weather events that experts predict will become increasingly frequent.

In a recent report on the situation in the region, the World Weather Attribution, a coalition of scientists studying the impact of climate change, warns that heat waves in humid areas are much more dangerous to health and will occur 10 times more frequently in the near future. According to UN projections, in Thailand, there could be 30 more deaths per million inhabitants due to heat in the next two decades, and 130 more per million by the end of the century.

A Cambridge University study warns that by 2050, heat waves in India, the world's most populous country, could "push the limit of human survival". And they will "affect the productivity and quality of life of between 310 and 480 million people," an "unprecedented challenge" that could hinder plans to achieve national development goals.






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