"Heatwaves to Continue Ahead"... Suffocating Global Village Amid Simultaneous Heatwaves

On the 19th (local time), American tourists visiting Lustgarten Park in Berlin, Germany, are cooling off at the fountain. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] The intense heatwave that has fully begun is sweeping across various parts of the globe. In the United States, heatwave warnings have been issued in dozens of states due to record-breaking heat, while China and Japan are also suffering from early heatwaves with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. Concerns are growing as heatwaves are being observed simultaneously not only in the eastern region of North America but also in parts of Europe and Asia.

According to Yonhap News on the 26th, temperatures in some areas of France and Spain exceeded 40 degrees Celsius last weekend. The heatwave in France is recorded as the earliest since 1947. Germany is also experiencing daily maximum temperatures ranging from 40 to 43 degrees Celsius.

In the United States, as temperatures recently rose to about 38 degrees Celsius, heatwave warnings were issued in 16 states. The Associated Press reported on the 20th (local time) that thousands of homeless people in Phoenix, Arizona, were exposed to the heatwave without protection, marking the highest temperature in 104 years. Earlier in early June, Phoenix's highest temperature soared to 45.5 degrees Celsius.

The situation in Asia is similar. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency on the 26th, temperatures rose mainly in eastern Japan, with the temperature in Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture, reaching 40.2 degrees Celsius the previous day. This is the highest June temperature ever recorded in Japan. Tokyo's city center also rose to 35.4 degrees Celsius that day, with 64 observation points nationwide exceeding 35 degrees. According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, this is the earliest year since statistics began in 1875 that Tokyo's city center has recorded a maximum temperature above 35 degrees Celsius.

In China, temperatures in the northern and central regions approached 40 degrees Celsius this week, leading to advisories for residents to refrain from going outside. Earlier, India experienced its hottest March in 122 years since meteorological observations began, recording a maximum temperature of 33.1 degrees Celsius in March.

Such simultaneous heatwaves occurring across the United States, Europe, and Asia are expected to continue. According to The New York Times (NYT), scientists are particularly noting that the frequency of simultaneous heatwaves occurring in multiple locations on Earth has increased over time.

A study published by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) in January this year found that the average number of days with at least one large-scale heatwave in the Northern Hemisphere from May to September doubled from 73 days in the 1980s?2010s to 152 days. When considering occurrences of two or more heatwaves, the average number of days jumped more than sevenfold from 20 days to 143 days during the same period.

Climate scientist Andrew Dessler said, "More and more regions will experience heatwaves," and predicted, "All areas in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere could exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.78 degrees Celsius)."

Animals are also suffering from the early heatwave. The photo is unrelated to any specific expressions in this article. [Image source=Pixabay]

Meanwhile, animals are also suffering from the early heatwave. On the 16th, a mass death of cattle occurred at a ranch in central Kansas, USA, due to the heatwave. The Associated Press attributed the mass death not only to the heatwave sweeping the United States but also to the climate conditions where humidity soared and winds weakened significantly. The combination of abnormal high temperatures and high humidity caused the heat-exposed cattle to be unable to endure the stress and die.

Earlier, in southern Spain's Seville and Cordoba, where daytime temperatures soared to 42 degrees Celsius, hundreds of young kestrels were found dead on city streets. Additionally, in New Zealand in the Southern Hemisphere, since May, residents have found groups of little blue penguins, also known as Koror?, dead. This is analyzed to be due to the rise in sea temperatures in northern New Zealand waters caused by La Ni?a, making it difficult for the penguins to find food such as anchovies and sardines. According to CNN, autopsies of these penguins revealed a significant reduction in abdominal fat and that they were in a state of malnutrition before being washed ashore.