GENEVA, June 28 (Xinhua) -- The first heatwave of the year, which is setting new temperature records across Europe, has posed a risk to people's health by triggering exhaustion or heat stroke, while also affecting agriculture and the environment, especially through wildfires, UN agencies warned on Friday.
Many parts of Europe are experiencing the first heatwave of the year as a result of warm air masses from Africa, setting new daytime and overnight temperature records for June, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said at a press conference.
It quoted Meteo-France as saying that the heatwave would peak on Friday as numerous temperature records have been broken, not just for the month of June, but also absolute temperature records for the whole year.
The Spanish national meteorological and hydrological agency has issued a red alert for heat as temperatures top 40 degrees Celsius in parts of northern Spain, which is bad news for authorities battling the wildfire in Catalonia.
Their German counterpart also said that 51 observing stations recorded new June temperature records. It has announced a new national temperature record for June of 38.6 degrees Celsius at a weather station in Berlin on Wednesday.
Also more than half of Switzerland's observing stations measured new June temperature records on Wednesday. Out of 85 stations, 43 recorded June temperature records and six saw an absolute record, including Davos at 1,594 meters with a temperature of 29.8 degrees Celsius.
WMO said temperatures in Central Europe are expected to be between three and six degrees Celsius above the long-term average, and one to three degrees Celsius above average over remaining areas.
With extreme hot weather currently experienced or forecast in Asia and Europe, the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged preparation for heatwaves and possible health consequences, as exposure to excessive heat has wide ranging physiological impacts for humans, often amplifying existing conditions and resulting in premature death and disability.
The WHO has warned that extended periods of high day and night-time temperatures create cumulative physiological stress on the human body which exacerbates the top causes of death globally, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and renal disease.
Earth is set to experience its five warmest years on record from 2015 to 2019, as increasing greenhouse gas concentrations will fuel the global heat, resulting in ice melt, glacier retreat, sea level rise, ocean heat and extreme weather for generations to come, according to the WMO.
It's going to focus on the visible and increasing urgency of climate action at a meeting starting in Abu Dhabi on Sunday to galvanize initiatives that will be announced at September's Climate Action Summit, convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
