Earth faces the hottest month ever

2023-07-31 18:59:45, Sociale CNA

In the United States, nearly 200 million people are facing high temperatures, and some with the risk of flooding.

At the same time, parts of India are under water, while in Afghanistan, there is a shortage of water supply due to a heat wave. As Voice of America correspondent Arash Arabasadi reports, scientists say this could be the new reality.

The sun is blazing over the streets of Phoenix, Arizona, in the United States.

Almost throughout the days of July, the recorded temperatures have been 43 degrees Celsius, or more. In the neighborhood where the tents are placed, popularly known as "Zona", there are the homeless, those who are most at risk of losing their lives due to the extreme heat. Extreme temperatures have forced authorities in the city of Phoenix to take creative measures to help people cope with the heat.

Earth faces the hottest month ever

"They sent us here, one of the buses of the Valley line. The bus is left here for a few hours so we can sit and cool off, not sit in the sun. It is something I had not experienced before. It's nice to stay fresh," says Stefon James Dewitt Livengood, a resident of the "Zona" neighborhood.

Experts say that urban communities are the ones that suffer the worst consequences of the heat, as a result of city planning.

"These heat waves are more dangerous for communities of color and low-income communities because in these areas where people are sheltering in tents, there are fewer trees, but more parking lots and roads, which effectively absorb even more sunlight. This raises the air temperature in these neighborhoods," says Jeremy Hoffman of Groundwork USA.

This continuous heat represents a danger even for the healthiest part of the population, if attention is not paid to the warning signs sent by the body.

"If you're in the sun, you have to sweat. If you suddenly feel hot, but you are not sweating, this means that your immune system is failing. "You don't have enough fluids and you are at serious risk of what we call heatstroke, which can be life-threatening," he says.

Steve Groshong of Buchanan County Emergency Services.

Phoenix isn't the only city experiencing the scorching heat this year.

According to the National Weather Service, by the end of last week, 60 percent of people living in the United States had received warnings about the risk of high temperatures or flooding.

Meanwhile, in India, the meteorological service warned of heavy or very heavy rain. More than 100 people have lost their lives as a result of the rains, while 1,600 hectares of land have been flooded.

Earth faces the hottest month ever

According to scientists, the season of heavy summer rains in hot Asian countries, accompanied by landslides and floods, are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change.

What India is experiencing is quite different from what is happening in the capital of Afghanistan. The global heat wave and severe drought have forced residents of Kabul to pay high prices and travel long distances to secure water. A resident told the Associated Press agency that he spends half of his salary on rent and the rest on water.

Climate scientists say July was the hottest month on record.

This means that all of us have experienced the hottest weeks ever recorded./ VOA