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This summer, the effects of a warming world have never been more clear. Let’s take a look at the extreme heat people all over the world are enduring. THREAD: (1/10)
In Baghdad, temperatures soared to 125 degrees Fahrenheit (that’s 51 degrees Celsius!). Yes, Iraq is always hot in the summer, but this is a stunning new record high. (2/10) https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/07/29/baghdad-iraq-heat-record/
Just days later, on the other side of the world, Death Valley may have set a new mark for the highest temperature reliably recorded on Earth – EVER. (3/10) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/17/death-valley-temperature-rises-to-544c-possibly-the-hottest-ever-reliably-recorded
Elsewhere in the US Southwest, cities accustomed to high heat are buckling under truly extreme temperatures, including record highs in Phoenix and Las Vegas. (4/10) https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/17/weather/heat-wave-us-and-canada/index.html
And in regions less accustomed to heat waves? The extreme temperatures have still been relentless. In Siberia, the thermometer hit triple digits this summer in a record-breaking heat wave – and scientists say it’s a result of the climate crisis. (5/10) https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2020/07/16/siberian-heat-wave-almost-impossible-without-climate-change/5450168002/
But it’s not just that it’s hot. The heat has real consequences for the communities sweltering in its path. In California, rolling blackouts are impacting millions of people in the middle of a vicious pandemic. (6/10) https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article245022345.html
In Siberia, it’s meant unprecedented wildfires disrupting life, endangering communities, and unlocking potent methane gases previously trapped in the permafrost. (7/10) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/07/heat-wave-thawed-siberia-now-on-fire/
In Iraq, protests have erupted over access to energy and basic goods as the dangerous heat continues through the celebration of Eid-al-Adha. (8/10) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/31/world/middleeast/Middle-East-heat-wave.html
And if you thought fire tornadoes were the stuff of sci-fi movies, think again. These exceedingly rare and dangerous phenomena are now being caught on camera in Northern California as intense heat drives extreme wildfires. (9/10) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/16/us/loyalton-fire-tornado.html
These are just a few examples. So when we talk about needing urgent action to combat the climate crisis, we aren’t talking about a far-off threat. We’re talking about an emergency. One impacting real people. Right now. It’s time to act. (10/10)
