1069. Extreme Heat Epidemic 

With a high of 17.16°C on July 22, 2024, last week marked the hottest consecutive daily temperatures on record.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that "billions of people are facing an extreme heat epidemic – wilting under increasingly deadly heatwaves, with temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius around the world. That is 122 degrees Fahrenheit – halfway to boiling."

The effects of these heatwaves also vary regionally, with more than 90% and 80% of workers in Africa and the Arab region respectively, and three in four (75%) in the Asia-Pacific region, the most densely populated region.

In addition, heatwaves are projected to cost the global economy $2.4 trillion by 2030, up from $280 billion in the mid-1990s. Infrastructure damage, crop failures, and increased strain on water resources, insurance systems, and power grids highlight the urgency of building  societies and economies that are resilient to heatwaves.

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki, Information Program