The global average temperature for 13 consecutive months from June 2023 to June 2024 also set new monthly records.
The 50℃ barrier is broken
“Widespread, intense and prolonged heat waves have hit every continent over the past year.. At least ten countries have recorded daily temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius in multiple locations,” he said. World Meteorological Organization Secretary General Celeste Saulo.
These trends emphasize the urgency of Call to action on extreme heatOne new initiative launched in july by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres Strengthen international cooperation to address extreme heat.
“The Earth is getting hotter and more dangerous for everyone, everywhere.“The UN Secretary-General stressed.
Deadly Impact
Extreme heat is causing ripple effects across society.
A 1℃ annual temperature increase leads to a 9.1 percent increase in poverty ratesFurthermore, 12 percent of all food produced will be lost due to lack of cooling systems, and working hours equivalent to 80 million full-time jobs could be lost due to heat stress by 2030.
The consequences have been deadly. Nearly half a million heat-related deaths occurred each year between 2000 and 2019.
Taken together, extreme heat is devastating economies, increasing inequality, and derailing our future. Sustainable development goals.
“This is getting too hot to handle“, said Ms. Saulo.
Call to action on extreme heat
The United Nations Secretary-General has launched a Call to Action to mitigate the dire environmental and socio-economic consequences that are now evident.
The initiative highlights the need for joint efforts in four key areas: caring for the vulnerable, protecting workers, strengthening economic and social resilience using data and science, and limiting temperature rise to 1.5℃ by phasing out fossil fuels and scaling up investment in renewable energy.
This report brings together the expertise and perspectives of ten United Nations specialized agencies, highlighting the diverse multi-sectoral impacts of extreme heat on human health, lives and livelihoods.
“WMO Community Committed to Responding to the UN Secretary-General’s Call “Acting with early warnings of heat-related health and better action plans,” said Ms. Saulo, adding that recent estimates show that scaling up global heat-related health warning systems in 57 countries alone could potentially save around 98,000 lives a year.
