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This summer is undoubtedly one for the record books. Brutal heat has literally melted roads, ignited forest fires and affected millions around the planet. Extreme weather has scorched the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the U.S, as weather experts predict that this year will surpass last year as the hottest in recorded history.
A massive heat dome continues to break so many records across Europe and the Middle East http://t.co/SFu4AlGjjM pic.twitter.com/NyGmNflXug
— 350 dot org (@350) August 12, 2015
“I’d not be surprised if 2015 ends up the warmest year on record,” said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) climate monitoring chief Derek Arndt in June.
The Middle East
Death tolls are currently climbing in Egypt as temperatures soar to 114 degrees Fahrenheit. The Associated Press reported that more than 60 people—mostly elderly—have died from the heat and high humidity. An additional 581 people have been hospitalized for heat exhaustion.
Death toll in Egypt’s scorching heat wave rises to over 60, @AP reports http://t.co/gF3FHOH9cj pic.twitter.com/dWp8YXg9tH
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) August 12, 2015
The entire region has been devastated by the relentless heat. Earlier this week, Iran hit a sweltering 164 degrees—just a few degrees shy of the highest ever record heat index. Pakistan’s devastating heat wave in June killed 1,233 and hospitalized more than 1,900 due to dehydration, heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses. In neighboring India, 2,500 people succumbed to heat a month earlier.
Asia
Japan is experiencing heat-related deaths in 29 out of its 47 prefectures, with Tokyo currently experiencing an “unprecedented” streak of temperatures over 95 degrees, according to Weather.com. The week of July 27 through Aug. 2—where 25 people died from heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses—was considered the “deadliest” week in the country and nearly equaled the death toll of 30 in the preceding three months combined, Weather.com added in its report.
Deadly heat wave kills 32 across Japan in a week, 11,219 sent to hospitals http://t.co/5U3hUjBOHo pic.twitter.com/IZwQpRxTZt
— Tokyo Reporter (@tokyoreporter) August 12, 2015
Elsewhere in Asia, Chinese weather authorities have issued heat wave alerts as some parts of the country experienced temperatures in the triple digits. The Guardian also reported in July that North Koreans were ordered to start work at 5 a.m. in order to cope with temperatures around 104 degrees Fahrenheit in Pyongyang.