Intense heat is gripping large parts of the northern hemisphere, while several other regions are grappling with heavy rains and tragic flooding.

Preliminary data collected by the World Meteorological Organization reveals that June recorded the hottest global average temperature on record. The trend continued in the first weeks of July.

Fire danger in Europe

According to WMO Secretary General Petteri Taalas, the agency is stepping up its efforts to “help society adapt to what is unfortunately becoming the new normal”.

High temperatures are forecast in the Mediterranean region for at least the next two weeks, reaching up to 5°C above the historical average.

The European Union’s Copernicus emergency management service has warned of “extreme” danger of fires across most of the Iberian Peninsula, with “very extreme” danger in parts of Spain.

According to the WMO, the Mediterranean Sea is expected to reach exceptionally high temperatures in the days and weeks to come. The impacts of marine heat waves include species migration and extinction, in addition to the arrival of invasive species, with implications for fisheries and aquaculture.

Heat waves in Africa, America and Asia

North Africa also faces high temperatures. The Moroccan meteorological service issued a red alert for extreme heat in the south of the country on July 13, with maximum temperatures of 44°C to 49°C.

The U.S. National Weather Service says a widespread heat wave is intensifying in the south of the country, with the possibility of all-time temperature records in several locations. Hotspots in the American Southwest include California, southern Nevada and Arizona.

In Canada, record wildfires continue to burn large swaths of forest. Over 500 episodes were in progress as of July 11.

According to the Canadian Interagency Wildfire Center, more than 9 million hectares have already burned in 2024, compared to a ten-year average of around 800,000 hectares.

Parts of China, including the capital Beijing, also suffered from a prolonged heat wave.

Around the world, more incidents of extreme weather events are being recorded

Heavy rains and floods

The WMO recalls that as the planet warms up, the risk of increasingly intense and frequent rains increases. In the northeastern United States, parts of New England are facing torrential rains after severe flooding in early July and New York State has issued a flood emergency.

In northern India, roads and bridges collapsed and homes were swept away by rivers that overflowed during heavy monsoon rains and floods that killed dozens of people.

Flooding in northwest China has killed around 15 people, prompting President Xi Jinping to call for greater efforts to protect people from extreme weather.

The Japan Meteorological Agency, JMA, issued emergency heavy rain warnings for Fukuoka and Oita prefectures on Kyushu, the country’s third-largest island, on Monday.

Taalas says extreme weather conditions have a major impact on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies. For him, this underlines “the growing urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as deeply as possible”.