WMO confirms new record high temperatures in Europe

People swim to avoid the heat at Torre Faro Pilone on the island of Sicily, Italy, July 16, 2023

The previous record on the continent was 48 degrees Celsius, measured in Athens (Greece) on July 10, 1977.

In a statement, the UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the agency had confirmed the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe was 48.8 degrees Celsius, measured in Sicily on August 11, 2021. However, according to WMO, this record could be broken in the coming days as the heat continues to increase.

Normally, new record high temperatures are published in a peer-reviewed journal. The WMO has not yet taken this step, but said that due to the extreme heat currently raging in Europe, it had announced the confirmation of a new record high for the continent.

According to WMO, the agency will consider the possibility of new high temperatures being set amid severe heat waves hitting the southern United States, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East and some countries in Asia, including China.

Randall Cerveny, professor of geosciences at the University of Arizona and WMO rapporteur on weather and climate extremes, said that if there were any new record high temperatures during the current heatwave, WMO would quickly make a preliminary assessment and then begin a detailed assessment. This is part of WMO’s thorough verification process for temperatures around the world.

Meanwhile, health officials around the world, from North America to Europe and Asia, have warned of the heat, advising people to avoid going outdoors and drink enough water.

In Greece, a wildfire near Athens forced authorities to evacuate 1,200 children camping near a seaside resort. Several homes were burned down, according to local media. In Rome, Italy, temperatures neared a record 39 degrees Celsius on July 17.

China also reported record high temperatures in mid-July in its northwest, where temperatures hit 52.2 degrees Celsius in Sanbao village, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, nearly 2 degrees higher than the previous record of 50.6 degrees Celsius set six years ago. Authorities in 32 of Japan's 47 prefectures have warned of heatstroke risks due to the hot weather. Japanese media reported that at least 60 people were being treated for heatstroke.

Meanwhile, in the western and southern states of the United States, where high temperatures are common, more than 80 million people have been warned of the risks amid the extreme heat that is spreading across the region. Temperatures measured in Death Valley, California - one of the hottest areas in the world - reached a near-record 52 degrees Celsius on the afternoon of July 16. The capital city of Phoenix, Arizona, recorded temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius for the first time in 18 consecutive days, including 45 degrees Celsius in the early afternoon of July 17.

"Extreme weather is having a devastating impact on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies," WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said in a statement. "This underscores the urgency of rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

According to VNA