Extreme Heat Affects Record Numbers in India and China in June

In June, an unprecedented 619 million people in India faced extreme heat exacerbated by climate change, marking the country as the most affected globally, according to Climate Central’s rapid attribution analysis. China followed with 579 million people experiencing similar conditions. The analysis indicated that almost 5 billion people worldwide were subjected to extreme heat, with over 60% of the global population encountering temperatures significantly amplified by climate change.
Andrew Pershing, Vice President for Science at Climate Central, warned of the severe consequences of ongoing carbon emissions, emphasizing the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves due to more than a century of burning fossil fuels.
India experienced one of its most intense heatwaves, peaking in mid-June with temperatures nearing 50ºC and causing over 40,000 heatstroke cases and more than 100 deaths. Other countries also faced severe heat, including China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, Bangladesh, and the United States. In Saudi Arabia, the heatwave during the Hajj pilgrimage led to at least 1,300 deaths.
The Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa regions, as well as parts of the Southern Hemisphere, including Paraguay and Peru, saw record-high temperatures. The urgent need for climate action was highlighted by various experts, calling for rapid reductions in fossil fuel use to mitigate these extreme weather events and protect global health and safety.