Temperatures above 50C used to be a rarity confined to two or three global hotspots, but the World Meteorological Organization noted that at least 10 countries have reported this level of searing heat in the past year: the US, Mexico, Morocco, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Pakistan, India and China.
In Iran, the heat index – a measure that also includes humidity – has come perilously close to 60C, far above the level considered safe for humans.
Heatwaves are now commonplace elsewhere, killing the most vulnerable, worsening inequality and threatening the wellbeing of future generations. Unicef calculates a quarter of the world’s children are already exposed to frequent heatwaves, and this will rise to almost 100% by mid-century.
All I’m thinking is that we recorded the highest temperatures in a desert in all human history. Almost whopping 10 degrees celsius above the previously recorded record. Sweet Jesus that’s a lot… That’s not fucking natural. What will it take for you to admit that a place known for being hot might be a bit too hot? Maybe once all creatures and plants in deserts cease to exist? Or does it all need to turn to glass before maybe, just maybe it’s a bit hotter then it should?