

I urge world leaders to ACT now."Īs many as 61,000 people may have died in Europe during heatwaves last summer, with a repetition feared this season. "In many parts of the world, today is predicted to be the hottest day on record," tweeted Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation. The World Meteorological Organization said the extreme heat and rainfall was expected to extend into August. Italy's health ministry on Monday issued red weather alerts - signaling a possible health threat for anyone exposed to the heat - for 20 of the country's 27 main cities on Tuesday, with the number expected to rise to 23 on Wednesday.įrance's public health agency said the current stretch of hot weather would probably hospitalize or kill "many" people, as heat waves have done almost every summer since 2015. EUROPEAN HEATWAVE UNRELENTINGĪn unrelenting heatwave continued in Europe as well. They followed the heaviest recorded rain in the capital Seoul last year.

In South Korea, torrential rains left 40 people dead as river levees collapsed causing flash floods.

Typhoon Talim was gaining strength and due to make land at night along China's southern coast, forcing the cancellation of flights and trains in the regions of Guangdong and Hainan. Prolonged high temperatures in China are threatening power grids and crops and raising concerns about a repeat of last year's drought, the most severe in 60 years. "It is toxic for both Chinese and for Americans and for people in every country on the planet." "In the next three days, we hope we can begin taking some big steps that will send a signal to the world about the serious purpose of China and the United States to address a common risk, threat, challenge to all of humanity created by humans themselves," Kerry said. climate envoy John Kerry met Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua in Beijing, urging joint action to cut methane emissions and coal-fired power. The extreme global temperatures underscored the urgency in talks that resumed between China and the United States on climate change, especially as scientists say the target of keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels is moving beyond reach.
