Beijing, 30 Jun (Xinhua) -- Since the beginning of summer, many places around the world have encountered extreme high temperature weather, and people in the United States, Mexico, Spain, and other countries have complained bitterly about this. Climate experts believe that El Niño could add fuel to this year's climate anomalies, potentially making this year the hottest on record.
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US: The heat index soars
A spreading heat wave is scorching much of the southern United States. According to data from the US government's comprehensive high temperature health information system on the 28th, more than 120 million people are in various high temperature warning zones.
The US Weather Service said on the 28th that high temperature weather in most of the southern part of the United States may continue until July 4, and many areas will experience the worst heat so far this year. Not only that, the combination of high temperature and high humidity has made the heat index in many places in the southern United States reach a "dangerous high", and the possibility of residents suffering from heat-related diseases has increased significantly.
Children play in the water on June 27 in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, USA. Recently, Texas ushered in high temperature weather, and the temperature in Dallas reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit (about 46 degrees Celsius). Xinhua News Agency (photo by Tian Dan)
The heatwave has entered its third week in most parts of Texas. Cities such as Del Rio have repeatedly exceeded 43 degrees Celsius in a single day. In Houston and other places, due to the humid air and the urban heat island effect, the heat index soared, and the heat was as hot as a sauna all day long.
According to US media reports, the persistent hot weather in the south has killed at least 17 people, including 11 elderly people in Webb County in southern Texas. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of emergency room visits due to heat in the United States increased by about 30% in the past week compared to the same period last year.
Mexico: High temperatures kill more than 100 people
Mexico, America's neighbor, is also suffering from heat. The Mexican Ministry of Health issued an announcement on the 28th that 112 people died of extreme heat in Mexico in the past few weeks, of which 104 died of heat stroke, mainly concentrated in the northern states of Nuevo León, Tamaulipas and the eastern state of Veracruz, where the maximum temperature has exceeded 45 degrees Celsius.
According to Mexico's National Weather Service, the maximum temperature in the town of Aconchi, Sonora, even reached 49 degrees Celsius.
The reporter saw in the capital Mexico City that due to the high temperature weather, the flow of people on some streets in the urban area has decreased. Overuse of air conditioning has increased pressure on power supplies in parts of Mexico, and Mexico's national electricity sector has reported multiple system failures. The meteorological department expects the hot weather to continue for several more days.
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In the city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, some citizens complained to reporters about the heat caused by the heat. Erica sighed: "This weather is really hot, and the feeling of heat stroke is very strong. My skin was red, sweaty, and my mouth was dry, and it was difficult to relieve. Evincio said: "It's too hot, it's really too hot. I don't even know what to do if this continues, I feel like we're going to be scorched. ”
Spain: High temperature record threatened to be broken
In Europe, a heat wave began to sweep across much of Spain over the weekend, with localized highs of 44 degrees Celsius and two deaths.
10 parks in the capital, Madrid, are closed to restrict outdoor activities. In response to the heat wave, some parts of Madrid have begun to impose bans on outdoor work in extreme heat.
A woman is photographed outside Retiro Park, which was closed due to a high temperature red alert in Madrid, Spain, on June 25. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Meng Dingbo
According to Spanish health authorities, a 47-year-old farmer in the province of Seville, in the autonomous region of Andalusia in the south, died of heat stroke after working in the fields under the scorching sun on his head.
As of the 27th, 23 provinces in 8 autonomous regions of Spain have issued high temperature warnings. The meteorological service predicts that Spain's record for extreme heat is likely to be set again this summer. (Reporters: Xu Jianmei, Wu Hao, Hu Jiaqi, Meng Dingbo; Reporting by: Ricardo and Alberto Penado; Editor: Wang Pei; Editors: Liu Jian, Zhang Dailei, Liang Shanggang, Indifferent Ran)