Heatwaves

September 16, 2024 6:12 PM

Climate change boosted deadly Saudi haj heat by 2.5 C, scientists say

The heatwave in Saudi Arabia blamed for the deaths of 1,300 people on the haj pilgrimage this month was made worse by climate change, a team of European scientists said on Friday. Temperatures along the route from June 16 to 18 reached 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) at times and exceeded 51.8 C at Mecca's Great Mosque. The heat would have been approximately 2.5 C (4.5 F) cooler without the influence of human-caused climate change, according to a weather attribution analysis by Cli...

June 20, 2024 6:33 PM

Millions sweltering under extreme heat worldwide as summer arrives

Dangerous heatwaves are scorching cities on four continents as the Northern Hemisphere marks the first day of summer, a sign that climate change may again bring about record-breaking heat that could surpass last summer as the warmest in 2,000 years. Countries around the Mediterranean have endured another week of blistering high temperatures that have contributed to forest fires from Portugal to Greece and along the northern coast of Africa in Algeria, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and ...

May 21, 2024 7:39 PM

Heatwaves push India’s power demand to record high; Delhi hits 7,717 MW

India's ongoing severe heatwave has pushed power demand to a seasonal high of 234 gigawatts (GW) on Tuesday, exceeding the government's projected range of 225-235 GW for May. The demand is anticipated to rise further in June, reaching between 235-240 GW. Delhi, experiencing extreme heat, recorded an unprecedented peak power demand of 7,717 megawatts (MW) at 3:33 pm on Tuesday, the highest in its history. This marked the fourth consecutive day that Delhi's demand surpassed 7,000 MW, breaking the...