Hotter July Follows Hottest June As Heatwaves Scorch the Globe

ATHENS: Heat waves and wildfires scorched large parts of the Northern Hemisphere as temperatures reached new highs on Monday.

The blazing temperatures could be felt from Europe to Asia and America as the hottest June on record made way to July as people scrambled for any kind of relief.

Health authorities across the heat- scorched places around the globe are sounding the alarm, urging people to check against dehydration and to seek shelter from the burning sun.

The heat wave and the wildfires this year comes as a stark reminder of the effects brought on by global warming.

Near Athens in Greece, a forest fire has flared up due to strong winds near the popular beach town of Loutraki posing a threat to youngsters in holiday camps, mayor Giorgos Gkionis said. The authorities were forced to evacuate around 1,200 children close to the Greek seaside resort.

Greek emergency services were also trying to put out wildfires in Kouvaras and the resorts of Lagonissi, Anavyssos and Saronida near Athens, with several homes burned down in the area.

"The extreme weather ... is having a major impact on human health, ecosystems, economies, agriculture, energy and water supplies," said World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. He asserted that this highlights the increasing urgency of cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions quickly.

In Rome, temperatures hit a near-record 39C on Monday and American tourist Colman Peavy, on a two-week vacation, could hardly believe the heat as he sipped a cup of cappuccino at a cafe with his wife Ana. Hailing from Texas, they thought they would be able to escape the heat, only to find Rome even hotter.

According to the EU weather monitoring service, it was recorded as the world's hottest June, and July is set to challenge its own record.

Swinging across to Asia, temperatures reached 52.2C in the village of Sanbao in Xinjiang region as China recorded a new mid-July high in the northwest part of the country, breaking the previous high of 50.6C set six years ago.

Authorities issued heatstroke alerts in 32 out of Japan's 47 prefectures, mainly those located in central and southwestern regions, as at least 60 people were treated for heatstroke, local media reported, with 51 people admitted to hospitals in Tokyo.

In the US, more than 80 million people in western and southern states, which are more used to high temperatures, were following advisories as an oppressive heatwave roasted the region.

On Sunday afternoon, California's Death Valley, regarded among the hottest places on Earth, touched 52C, marking a near-record.

The temperature in Arizona’s state capital of Phoenix hit 45C (113F) early Monday afternoon, breaking its record of 43C (109F) in the last 18 consecutive days.

Similar highs were predicted by the US National Weather Service at least till Sunday, while there was warning of overnight lows remaining dangerously elevated, at above 32C (90F).

In rural areas east of Los Angeles in Southern California, several wildfires have ignited over the past few days

882 wildfires in neighbouring Canada were active on Monday, including 579 which are considered out of control, according to authorities.

Smoke from the fires crept towards the United States again, leading to air quality alerts across much of the northeast US.

Meanwhile in Europe, Italians were being asked to prepare for the ‘most intense heatwave of the summer’ and also one of the ‘most intense of all time’, while a red alert has been issued for 16 cities including Rome, Bologna and Florence.

Parts of Asia have also been battered by torrential rain, coupled with the heat, making matters worse here.

President of South Korea Monday vowed a ‘complete overhaul’ of the country's approach to extreme weather, with at least 40 people being killed in recent flooding and landslides during monsoon rains.

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