Hundreds Dead in Saudi Mecca Pilgrimage
Tourists Die in European Heatwave... France Concerned Ahead of Olympics
India Heatstroke Deaths Reach 110
The whole world is burning due to heatwaves caused by global warming.
On the 20th (local time), major foreign media reported that a large number of deaths occurred due to the recent heatwave over the past few days.
During the regular pilgrimage season (Hajj), the Islamic holiest site, Mecca in Saudi Arabia, is experiencing a surge in deaths caused by the heatwave. On the 17th, the temperature at Masjid al-Haram in Mecca reached 51.8 degrees Celsius.
According to the Associated Press, citing an anonymous source, the number of deaths during Hajj (from the 14th to the 19th) reached between 550 and 600. Another foreign media outlet, based on official announcements from various countries and diplomatic missions, reported that 1,081 visitors from 10 countries who visited Saudi Arabia during this period died. Two days earlier, the death toll was reported as 550, so it has doubled. According to Saudi authorities, as of the 19th, there were 2,700 confirmed cases of heat-related illnesses.
In Europe, incidents of tourists dying or going missing due to the heatwave have occurred. On the 17th, local police announced that a 55-year-old American tourist died in Greece. Previously, tourists also died from the heat on the 15th and the 5th.
Concerns are also rising in France ahead of the Paris Olympics opening on the 26th of next month. It could be the hottest Olympics ever. In late July, temperatures in Paris often exceed 40 degrees Celsius. Additionally, as the Olympics are promoted as eco-friendly, no air conditioning has been installed in the athletes' village, raising worries. At the Tokyo Olympics four years ago, one in every 100 athletes suffered from heat-related illnesses. Some countries plan to bring their own air conditioners.
A "heat dome" has formed over the central-northern and northeastern regions of the United States, intensifying the heatwave. The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) forecasted heatwaves over the coming days across the central-northern U.S., the Ohio River area, the Great Lakes, the Northeast, and the East Coast. On the 20th, temperatures in parts of Arizona are expected to reach 45.5 degrees Celsius. States like Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, which are usually cool in summer due to their high latitude and mountainous terrain, have also issued heatwave warnings this time.
According to CNN, in Washington DC, the temperature of railroad tracks is expected to reach 57 degrees Celsius (135 degrees Fahrenheit) due to the heat, prompting speed restrictions. In New Mexico in the southwestern U.S., dry and hot weather has worsened wildfire damage. The affected area reached 93 square kilometers, resulting in 2 deaths and 1,400 buildings burned.
Asia is no exception. In New Delhi, the capital of India, the maximum temperature has exceeded 40 degrees Celsius for 38 consecutive days since May 14. The Indian Ministry of Health reported that 110 people died from heatstroke between March 1 and June 18. During this period, suspected heatstroke cases reached 40,272. In northern India, schools were closed due to the heatwave. Some areas set up special heatwave wards.
The World Weather Attribution (WWA) identified fossil fuel use as the cause of the heatwave. By combining actual observational data and climate models, they found that warming caused by fossil fuel combustion raised the 5-day average maximum temperature by about 1.4 degrees Celsius. WWA predicted that if warming from fossil fuel use continues, heatwaves will become more frequent. Heatwaves that occurred once every 10 years before industrialization now occur about 2.8 times per decade. They forecast that if global warming raises Earth's temperature by 2 degrees, heatwaves will occur an average of 5.6 times every 10 years.
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