Death For Humanity

July 3rd The Hottest Day On Earth

E. Y. Nam

IT COMES AS NO SURPRISE that global temperatures have risen significantly in recent decades. However, just last month, we saw temperatures that shattered all previous records and reached unprecedented levels. The third of July has been recorded as the hottest day in Earth’s history. As the United States, China, India, and other countries across the world experience an early heatwave, fears rise about both human-caused global warming and the re-emergence of El Niño, and if they might continue to bring extreme weather conditions and intensify natural disasters.

According to Bloomberg and The Guardian, the average global temperature on July 3rd peaked at 17.01°C, surpassing its previous record of 16.92°C from 2016. This marks the hottest temperature recorded since satellite monitoring began in 1979. China and South Korea issued heatwave warnings for their citizens on the same day, with temperatures reaching up to 38°C. This record emphasises the intensity of this year’s continuous heat waves around the planet. British researcher Frederic Otto points out that this is not a milestone to celebrate but rather a “death sentence for humanity and ecosystems”.

Summer has yet to make its official start, and the entire globe has already been suffering from an early heatwave. Even in Australia we are experiencing intense noonday heat despite being in the winter season. Southern Mexico has also seen record-breaking heat, with some regions reaching up to 45°C. In Vietnam, farmers are doing their best to safeguard their crops from the enduring heat as midday temperatures exceed 40°C. Even the polar regions are not exempt from extreme temperatures. Temperatures in Siberia, which is usually recognised as one of Russia’s coldest regions, reached close to 38°C.

These severe temperatures are being attributed by experts to be a mix of global warming and the naturally occurring El Nino phenomenon. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) of the United Nations reported that El Nino is currently growing, with a 90% likelihood of it occurring between July and September. This intense heat leads to an even bigger problem; when the heat spikes, humans suffer. People and their bodies are unaccustomed and incapable of adapting to such rapidly increasing heat. According to PBS, since June, more than 100 individuals have passed away as a result of rising temperatures. There is an even higher risk for the young and elderly, who are already vulnerable to heat even under normal conditions.

So, where do we go from here? Frankly, is there any escape to this deadly phenomenon? Will the largest carbon-emitting companies eventually tone down their climate affecting emissions, or will our world never stop until it’s too late?