Millions worldwide suffer heatwave at start of summer

London, Heatwaves are sweeping across cities on four continents as the first day of summer hits the Northern Hemisphere, suggesting that climate change may push temperatures to new highs, potentially exceeding last summer's record heat. Countries around the Mediterranean have faced another week of soaring temperatures, leading to wildfires from Portugal to Greece and along the northern coast of Africa in Algeria, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In Serbia, meteorologists forecast temperatures to reach around 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days, driven by hot winds from North Africa pushing a heat front through the Balkans. Northeastern United States is experiencing a "heat dome," with over 86 million people under heat advisories today, according to the US National Weather Service. A heat dome occurs when a strong high-pressure system traps hot air over an area, preventing cooler air from entering and keeping ground temperatures high. New York City, under its heat emer gency plan, has announced the opening of cooling centers for the first time this year. New Delhi, India's capital, recorded its hottest night in 55 years on Wednesday, with the Safdarjung Observatory registering a temperature of 35.2 degrees Celsius. Typically, temperatures drop at night, but scientists say climate change is causing nighttime temperatures to rise. In many parts of the world, nighttime temperatures are increasing faster than daytime temperatures, according to a 2020 study by the University of Exeter. Scientists warn that heatwaves will continue to intensify if global emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels are not curbed. According to the World Weather Attribution group, a collective of scientists studying the link between natural phenomena and climate change, if global temperatures rise by two degrees Celsius above current levels, heatwaves could occur 5.6 times every decade on average. London, Heatwaves are sweeping across cities on four continents as the first day of summ er hits the Northern Hemisphere, suggesting that climate change may push temperatures to new highs, potentially exceeding last summer's record heat. Countries around the Mediterranean have faced another week of soaring temperatures, leading to wildfires from Portugal to Greece and along the northern coast of Africa in Algeria, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In Serbia, meteorologists forecast temperatures to reach around 40 degrees Celsius in the coming days, driven by hot winds from North Africa pushing a heat front through the Balkans. Northeastern United States is experiencing a "heat dome," with over 86 million people under heat advisories today, according to the US National Weather Service. A heat dome occurs when a strong high-pressure system traps hot air over an area, preventing cooler air from entering and keeping ground temperatures high. New York City, under its heat emergency plan, has announced the opening of cooling centers for the first time this year. New Delhi, India's capital, recorded its hottest night in 55 years on Wednesday, with the Safdarjung Observatory registering a temperature of 35.2 degrees Celsius. Typically, temperatures drop at night, but scientists say climate change is causing nighttime temperatures to rise. In many parts of the world, nighttime temperatures are increasing faster than daytime temperatures, according to a 2020 study by the University of Exeter. Scientists warn that heatwaves will continue to intensify if global emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels are not curbed. According to the World Weather Attribution group, a collective of scientists studying the link between natural phenomena and climate change, if global temperatures rise by two degrees Celsius above current levels, heatwaves could occur 5.6 times every decade on average. Source: Bahrain News Agency