Between June and August, nearly nine out of ten residents in Europe faced a dangerous month of heat. Asia registered the highest number of people affected by high temperatures, according to an analysis by the organization of scientists Climate Central, based in the United States of America, which studies and publishes information on climate science.
In its statement, the organization noted that heatwaves worldwide and dangerously hot days have become 'significantly more likely due to climate change,' primarily caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
The scientists concluded that almost everywhere in the world, citizens encountered days strongly influenced by climate change. They also emphasized that 54 countries experienced the hottest period from June to August since 1970, including France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, seven out of ten of the most exceptionally hot countries were in Europe.
In Asia, millions of people were exposed to at least 30 days of severe heat, with only India having 117 million affected. Climate conditions impacted the affected regions, triggering record forest fires, widespread droughts, and increased strain on healthcare and emergency services.
Christina Dahl, Vice President for Science at Climate Central, stated: 'Our analysis reveals a worrying global picture: whether it is nine out of ten Europeans facing severe heat, hundreds of millions of people affected in Asia and Africa, or relentless record temperatures in North America, human-caused global warming is pushing communities beyond safe physical limits.'
She added: 'These last three months are an alarm signal that we cannot ignore—the human and economic costs of fossil fuels are manifesting in real time, and the urgency to abandon them has never been so clear.'
According to the study, climate change added 23 days of severe and dangerous heat for the average resident of the USA and 17 days for the average resident of Canada.
Europe turned out to be the hottest place on the planet, where 89% of the population suffered from a full month of severe and dangerous heat, contributing to a high number of deaths. Additionally, at least six countries in Africa experienced a strong impact from climate change.
Simon Stiel, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, quoted in the statement, noted that 'over a billion people facing an additional month of unhealthy heat once again demonstrates the growing costs of the climate crisis caused by humanity's dependence on burning coal, oil, and gas.'