The world recorded the hottest week in history

An outdoor thermometer reads 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37.2 degrees Celsius) in the late afternoon in Houston, Texas, U.S., June 21, 2023.

Scientists say global surface temperatures have risen by about 1.1 degrees Celsius since 1880, making extreme heat more frequent, while global warming increases the risk of heavy rain because the warmer atmosphere can hold more water.

The warming is being caused by climate change and El Nino, an unusual warming of surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, according to the WMO. The WMO also said temperatures are breaking records on both land and sea, with "potentially devastating impacts on ecosystems and the environment."

WMO climate services director Christopher Hewitt warned that many world records for extreme weather could be broken in the coming period, with the El Nino phenomenon likely to last and have an impact until 2024.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres affirmed that "the situation we are witnessing today is proof that climate change is out of control".

Over the past six months, the world has been suffering from the consequences of climate change, including prolonged drought in Spain and severe heat waves in China and the United States.

The US National Weather Service (NWS) recently warned that more than 50 million Americans will have to endure dangerously high temperatures this week, as a heat wave rages across the southern US, including the states of California, Texas and Florida.

According to the NWS, a hot air mass is covering the southwestern desert states along with parts of Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico, with temperatures reaching 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. In southern and central California, temperatures are expected to reach 111.4 degrees Fahrenheit after July 11. Texas, which is experiencing a prolonged “heat dome” where hot air is trapped in the atmosphere like a convection oven, has now recorded 24 consecutive days of temperatures above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a new record, breaking the previous record of 23 consecutive days set in 1994.

In addition to the high temperatures, authorities are also warning of flash flooding as high temperatures melt the snowpack from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The northeastern United States also faced flooding on July 10, after heavy rains in several states washed away bridges and roads and left at least one person dead in New York state.

In Europe, Spain is forecast to experience a heatwave over the next few weeks. Rome and other cities across Italy are also bracing for a record-breaking heatwave, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius through the end of the week.

The Italian Health Ministry activated red alert on July 10 in nine of the country's 27 major cities, including the capital Rome, the central city of Florence and the northern city of Bologna. Several other cities were placed on orange alert, while only four were in green status with normal temperatures.

Along with withering crops, melting glaciers and increased risk of wildfires, higher than normal temperatures also cause health problems for people such as heat stroke, dehydration and cardiovascular problems.

A new study has found that more than 61,000 people died from heat in Europe in the summer of 2022, most of them over the age of 80. The study says that without intervention, Europe will face an average of more than 68,000 heat-related deaths per summer by 2030.

Scientists consider this a warning number for the summer, and call for effective measures to protect people from more dangerous heat waves in the coming years.

According to VNA