Asian continent sees warmest temperature ever recorded.
The summer isn’t over yet, but already seventeen nations have matched or beaten their all-time heat records. According to Jeff Masters’ WunderBlog, Belarus, the Ukraine, Cyprus, Russia, Finland, Qatar, the Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Niger, Chad, Kuwait, Iraq, Pakistan, Colombia, Myanmar, Ascension Island, and the Solomon Islands have all equaled or broken their top temperature records this year. In addition, the hottest temperature ever recorded in Asia was taken in Pakistan at 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53 degrees Celsius); this incredible temperature still has to be reviewed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Russia is currently undergoing a heat crisis with drought, forest and peatland fires, and dangerous temperatures threatening Moscow and parts of Central Russia. Thousands of people are thought to have died due to heat-related issues and Russia has halted wheat exports after the crop was devastated, aggravating fears of a global food crisis.
The head of Russia’s weather service, Alexander Frolov, has said that Russia hasn’t seen such a heat wave in 1,000 years.
While 17 nations have hit their highest ever temperatures in the last seven months, only one has recorded its lowest: Guinea in January recorded an all-time low.
Climate experts overwhelmingly say that the world is warming due to extensive greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. The last six months have been the hottest on record worldwide since data-taking began in the 1880s, while the past decade (from 2000-2009) was the warmest decade on record. Recently officials have stated that the heatwave and drought in Russia and the devastating floods and mudslides in Asia are in line with climate change expectations.
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