Heat records are likely to be broken all over the world, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. From Europe to the United States to China: this summer of 2023 is likely to bring intense heat waves. Record temperatures are even expected this weekend.
Fires in California
In the USA, 100 million people are under heat alerts. Absolute record temperatures are possible, leading to potentially dangerous conditions in the coming days, particularly in Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California. Fires are currently raging in California. Since yesterday, firefighters have been battling several very violent blazes that have ravaged more than 1,214 hectares. The population has been evacuated. Note that 17 years ago, in mid-July 2006, the heat wave that hit the United States and northeastern Canada claimed 310 lives.
Record heat in Europe
In Europe, it's the same story: Italy, both north and south, is experiencing a heat wave of historic proportions. On Sunday, 16 cities across the country will be on red alert. The thermometer is expected to climb to 48 degrees in Sardinia and Sicily. These could be some of the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe. Other European countries, including Spain, France, Germany and Poland, are also affected by this intense heat wave. In Greece, the Acropolis in Athens had to close its doors today, at the hottest time of the day.
Fig. 1; Source: Pixabay
A call for caution
Asia has not been spared. In China, for example, several provinces in the south and south-east will experience high temperatures this weekend, up to 40 degrees, a threshold that could even be exceeded in some cities in the north-west of the country. Similar temperatures are expected in eastern Japan. The authorities have even called on the population to exercise caution.
