Did you say global warming?

More than a thousand killed in Mecca

Last Monday, a temperature of 51.8 degrees Celsius was recorded in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. A new record for this holy city that receives millions of believers for Hajj every year. According to the latest statistics from Agence France-Presse, 1,081 deaths have been recorded so far among pilgrims due to the heat. Heat-related deaths during Hajj to Mecca have already been recorded in the past, but are likely to increase in the coming years, scientists warn. A Saudi study, published in May 2024, indicates that temperatures at various Hajj sites rise by 0.4 degrees every 10 years. According to the G20 report, Saudi Arabia will also see an 88% increase in the frequency of agricultural droughts by 2050.

India is suffocating

While summers are generally hot and humid in India, temperatures this year have broken new records in the most populous country on the planet. At the end of May, a new mark was recorded in the capital, New Delhi, where the temperature reached 49.9 degrees Celsius. The recent heat wave, which began in mid-May, is the longest ever in India. According to a report issued by the New Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment Research, the country will experience extreme weather conditions on 90% of the days of the year in 2023.

270 million hot Americans

Like Quebec, several areas in the United States are facing a heat wave this week. About 270 million Americans experienced temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius in the central and eastern parts of the country. In Portland, Maine, a temperature of 34 degrees Celsius was recorded on Thursday. According to the Climate Transition Index, an online tool to assess the impact of climate change, these conditions in the coastal city indicate a “dominant effect.” Moreover, a study revealed by the Global Weather Network of Scientists on Thursday reported that the heat wave that affected the United States, Mexico and Central America at the end of May and the beginning of June has become 35 times more likely due to climate change.

Early heatwave in Greece

Having experienced its warmest winter, Greece has just suffered the first heat wave ever recorded in this country. Authorities say several tourists have been found dead in recent days due to the extreme heat. Firefighters are also battling forest fires in several areas of the country. According to Greek researchers, Greece is expected to experience between 15 and 20 additional days of extreme heat by 2050. In Athens, for example, the number of heat waves is expected to rise from 1.4 to at least 6 attacks per year over the next 25 years. Years, according to estimates by the Dianeosis Research Institute.

A record number for renewable and fossil energies

While demand for renewable energy has set a new record in 2023, fossil fuel use has also reached a new high, emitting 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide.₂ In the atmosphere, the Energy Institute announced Thursday. “In a year in which the contribution of renewable energy reached a new record high, the steady increase in global energy demand means that the share of fossil fuels has remained almost unchanged at just over 80% for another year,” said Simon Fairley, of KPMG, the company told the British daily newspaper Watchman. The report indicates that demand for fossil fuels appears stable in rich countries, but continues to rise in the Global South.

With Agence France-Presse