Feeling The Heat? Temperatures Around The World Hit Sweltering Levels As Heatwaves Hit Numerous Coun
Source: MSS
July has been hot and humid with a smattering of thunderstorms from time to time. The highest night temperature recorded was 29.4 degrees at East Coast Parkway on July 18 at around 2.45 am.
But Singapore’s not the only one feeling the heat, countries across the world are facing record temperatures of 38 to 40 degrees celsius. Here are 4 countries facing sweltering temperatures in the world.
1. SINGAPORE
Singapore is facing temperatures of 34 to 35 degrees celsius with high humidity this July. It is not surprising as the Meteorological Service Singapore already predicted that the first half of July would be warmer and drier as compared to June.
Source: MSS
2. UK
The temperature in London is expected to hit a high of 4o degrees on Tuesday, July 19, according to their Met Office. This is unusual for the UK as the average temperature is around 21 degrees celsius. Such high temperatures for a country used to cooler temperatures can be fatal for the people living there as they are not used to it.
Source: Twitter, Met Office
As a result, people in the UK are taking measures like hanging white and foil sheets on their windows to keep the temperatures down.
The heatwave even caused structural damage and flights were suspended from London Luton Airport.
Source: Twitter, LDNLutonAirport
Network Rail, UK’s equivalent of SMRT Singapore, urged people to make journeys only when absolutely necessary over July 17-18 due to the heatwave. A spokesperson for Network Rail, Kevin Groves, warned that there is a strong possibility of tracks buckling under the heat. Train speeds have also been reduced as a precaution due the heat.
Source: iNews UK)
3. FRANCE
Meteo France issued amber alerts across 51 regions including Paris.
The soaring temperatures in France caused raging wildfires, scorching thousands of hectares of forest, especially in the Girande region. A total of 14 300 hectares of land was razed to the ground on July 18 and 24 000 people have been evacuated from the region.
Source: CNN
A total of 1500 firefighters have been deployed to the region to help put out the fires and 12 were injured in the process.
While July to August is considered the warmest months in France, the average temperature spiked from 25 degrees to about 35 degrees in recent years.
4. CHINA
Shanghai recorded a high of 40.9 degrees celsius on July 13, matching the previous record in 2017.
Source: SCMP
According to The Guardian, their heatwave coincided with mass Covid-19 testing in several districts and the testers had to resort to taping frozen water bottles to their hazmat suits to keep cool.
Source: The Guardian
So what’s causing the heatwave?
Climate change is a real and concerning problem facing the world today. CO2 emissions are the main culprit for global warming. According to Euronews, the Earth’s average temperature has risen by 1.1 degrees celsius since pre-industrial days. Heatwaves are caused by an increased pressure in the atmosphere, where warm air is pushed downwards and it continues to heat up, trapping it and resulting in warmer temperatures.
Across the world, the summer season starts from June to August and warmer temperatures are expected. However, recent years have seen countries with colder climes facing tropical region temperatures and it can cause heat strokes for people who are not used to the heat.
The Earth is heating up and it’s up to us to do something about it.
Reporter’s Opinions: Best way to cool down is to go for a dip in the pool, take cold showers and hydrate.
Even though we Singaporeans are used to such temperatures, it’s necessary to drink enough water, use sunblock and stay indoors whenever possible. You don’t wanna end up with a heat stroke unnecessarily.
Listen to Plan B’s Podcast this week!
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