Climate change may be linked to an increase of 26 days of extreme heat in the past 12 months, according to the study. (Chuchart Duangdaw/Getty Images)
- Climate change has led to an average of 26 more days of extreme heat over the past 12 months.
- In total, 76 extreme heatwaves were recorded in 90 countries on every continent except Antarctica.
- Approximately 80% of the world's population experienced at least 31 days of temperatures classified as extremely hot.
- For more climate change news and analysis, News24 The Future of Climate.
The report released on Tuesday found that the world experienced an average of 26 more days of extreme heat over the past 12 months that probably wouldn't have happened without climate change.
Heat is the leading cause of climate-related deaths, and the report further notes that global warming is playing a key role in increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events around the world.
For the study, the scientists used the period from 1991 to 2020 to identify countries' top 10% of temperatures during that time.
The researchers then looked at the 12-month period ending May 15, 2024, to determine how many days during that period had temperatures within or above their previous range.
We then used peer-reviewed methods to examine the impact of climate change on each of these extremely hot days.
They concluded that “anthropogenic climate change has, on average, resulted in 26 more days of extreme heat everywhere in the world than would have occurred in the absence of climate change.”
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The report was released by the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, the Global Weather Attribution Science Network and non-profit research organisation Climate Central.
According to the European Union's climate monitoring system, Copernicus, 2023 will be the hottest year on record.
Already this year, extreme heat waves have hit parts of the world, from Mexico to Pakistan.
The report found that around 6.3 billion people – roughly 80 percent of the world's population – experienced at least 31 days of weather classified as extreme heat in the past 12 months.
In total, 76 extreme heatwaves were recorded in 90 countries on every continent except Antarctica.
Five of the worst-hit countries were in Latin America.
The report estimates that without the effects of climate change, Suriname would have 24 days of extreme heat instead of 182, Ecuador would have 10 days instead of 180, Guyana would have 33 days instead of 174, El Salvador would have 15 days instead of 163, and Panama would have 12 days instead of 149.
“Tens of thousands of people are known to have died in the past 12 months, but the true figure could be hundreds of thousands, or even millions,” the Red Cross said in a statement.
“Floods and hurricanes may grab the headlines, but the effects of extreme heat can be just as deadly,” said Jagan Chapagain, secretary-general of the International Federation of the Red Cross.
