By Anders Lorenzen

A series of simultaneously multiple extreme heat events across the globe are having fatal consequences.

Across four continents deadly heatwaves fueled by climate change, are scorching cities and have led to at least hundreds, and possibly thousands, of deaths in Europe and Asia. There are concerns that in the Northern Hemisphere this summer could surpass last summer as the warmest for the last 2,000 years.

In Saudi Arabia, nearly two million Muslims are finishing the haj at the Grand Mosque in Mecca this week. With temperatures above 51 degrees, hundreds have due to extreme heat.

Extreme heat in the Mediterranean has contributed to forest fires from Portugal to Greece and along the northern coast of Africa in Algeria.

In Serbia, temperatures of 40 degrees C prompted health authorities to declare a red weather alert with the advice to stay indoors. According to the emergency services in the capital Belgrade, overnight 109 people had to be treated, who suffers from heart and chronic health conditions.

In Greece, in the space of a week, three tourists have died due to extreme heat.

Heat dome

Much of the eastern US has this week been suffering from a heat dome a phenomenon that occurs when a strong, high-pressure system traps hot air over a region, preventing cool air from getting in and causing ground temperatures to remain high. Several heat alerts were issued and in Arizona, it reached 45.5 degrees C. On Thursday nearly 100 million Americans were under extreme heat advisories.

In India, the summer should technically be finished now. But on Wednesday, New Delhi recorded its warmest night in 55 years at 35.2 Degrees C. The Indian capital has clocked 38 consecutive days with maximum temperatures at or above 40 degrees C since May 14th.

The series of heatwaves are occurring against a backdrop of 12 consecutive months that have ranked as the warmest on record in year-on-year comparisons, according to the European Union’s (EU) climate change monitoring service, Copernicus.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says there is an 86% per cent risk that one of the next five years will eclipse 2023 to become the warmest on record.

In recent years, on a global level, the frequency and intensity of heatwaves have been increasing at a rapid speed. Scientists say this is consistent with what climate models are predicting.