https://arab.news/gsjv3
Aside from the bombs, the starvation and the disease, Palestinians struggling to survive in Gaza last week also had to handle 40 degrees Celsius-plus temperatures. They do not have the luxury of air conditioning and most do not even have shelter. Water is scarcely available and diseases rampant.
But it is not just in Gaza and other war zones where extreme heat is a killer. It is now baked into the summer schedules of most countries, even in the Northern Hemisphere, as global warming sends the mercury ever upward and for longer periods.
Extreme heat may be a familiar issue for many areas of the Middle East, but for most of Europe and North America it is still a new phenomenon for which countries are not prepared. Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent and many cities are short on air conditioning. The learning curve will have to be steep, as temperatures over 40 C have become all too normal in Europe. Last month was the world’s third warmest July ever, with only 2023 and 2024 hotter. In 2022, more than 20,000 people died of heat-related causes in Europe.
Fires have been rampant, with an increase of about 50 percent so far this year. Several European capitals, including Madrid and Athens, have been under significant threat. The wildfires in Spain, one of the most vulnerable countries, have been particularly devastating.
