Northern Hemisphere Heatwave: Record-Breaking Temperatures Reported in the United States, Europe, and China

Extreme heat has been reported in multiple countries and continents across the Northern Hemisphere, where record-breaking temperatures have been reported in the United States, Europe, and China. The Canadian wildfires in the past several weeks are only some of the environmental repercussions of the inter-continental heat wave.

Since the start of July, massive heatwaves have struck North America, Europe, and Asia, with the world's hottest day recorded during this period. The Northern Hemisphere heatwave caused not only intense heat and wildfires but also reportedly fueled torrential rain and other extreme weather events, including flash flooding and landslides.

The current natural disaster resembles last year's excessive temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere, known as the 2022 European heatwaves; where thousands of heat-related deaths have been recorded amid wildfires and prolonged heat. Similar events were also recorded in Canada and the U.S. in previous years.

Northern Hemisphere Heatwave

Scientists stated that high temperatures in most parts of the Northern Hemisphere are likely to increase, The New York Times reported.

In a press release, UN News on Tuesday, July 18, cited a report from the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO), warning that dangers linked to the ongoing Northern Hemisphere heatwave. In particular, WMO Senior Heat Advisor, John Nairn, reportedly stated the extreme heat is possible to increase in terms of duration, frequency, and intensity.

Nairn highlighted that night-time temperatures are the most dangerous since the human body is unable to recover from the heat.

July High Temperatures

The Northern Hemisphere's summer season spans from July to August and it is expected that countries in this part of the world to experience higher-than-average temperatures. However, the onset of July, as mentioned earlier, saw record-breaking temperatures, with Earth's hottest day being recorded on July 3 (since recordings started in 1979), according to the website Weather & Radar USA.

July 3 saw the average global temperatures reaching 17.18 degrees Celsius (62.92 degrees Fahrenheit). It surpassed the previous record of 17.01 degrees Celsius (62.62 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the site.

The extreme heat index or average global air temperature in early July was recorded 2 meters above the Earth's surface and in several locations, with data collected by the University of Maine and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NBCDFW news reported.

2022 European Heatwave

In 2022, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) observed "unusually intense and widespread heatwaves" during Europe's summer season. The extreme event was also accompanied by prolonged dry periods, which have contributed to above-normal wildfire activity and severe droughts. Several European countries reported additional deaths during the catastrophic event, according to C3S.

In a study published in the journal Nature Medicine on July 10, scientists estimated that the estimated heat-related mortality during the 2022 European heatwave was more than 70,000 excess deaths. The researchers involved in the study linked anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions to the rise of global temperatures.