Opinion | Global heatwaves show urgency of adapting to changing climate

The concern over a “year without a summer” after Tonga’s volcanic eruption at the start of the year soon disappeared as early and extreme heatwaves swept the planet.

In April, the Hong Kong Observatory issued its earliest “very hot” weather warning, with temperatures of up to 33 degrees Celsius seen. In India, daytime temperatures hit 50 degrees in some places in May. In Pakistan, where the thermometer also reached 50 degrees, daytime temperatures were 5 to 8 degrees above normal in large swathes of the country.

Mainland China has been suffering heatwaves since mid-June, with temperatures in some cities above 40 degrees. Increasingly, officials need to consider the effects of high temperatures and humidity on vulnerable people, including the elderly, young and those who work outdoors.

Unusually early and intense heatwaves have also spread across Europe and North Africa. Temperatures in Spain, France, and Germany reached historical highs before summer. The temperature topped 40 degrees in parts of Spain on consecutive days in mid-June, making it the earliest heatwave since 1981, according to the state meteorological agency.

The number of people affected by these heatwaves is also growing. During the heatwave in the United States in June, almost 20 per cent of the population experienced temperatures above 37 degrees. More than 9 million people were subject to heat alerts across eight states.