Temperatures above 50C used to be a rarity confined to two or three global hotspots, but the World Meteorological Organization noted that at least 10 countries have reported this level of searing heat in the past year: the US, Mexico, Morocco, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Pakistan, India and China.

In Iran, the heat index – a measure that also includes humidity – has come perilously close to 60C, far above the level considered safe for humans.

Heatwaves are now commonplace elsewhere, killing the most vulnerable, worsening inequality and threatening the wellbeing of future generations. Unicef calculates a quarter of the world’s children are already exposed to frequent heatwaves, and this will rise to almost 100% by mid-century.

  • Rhaedas@fedia.io
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    4 months ago

    That’s one of those nightmare thoughts - when the power goes out, what do people usually do for a while? Wait for it to come back on. Someone is coming to fix it, right? Much of modern society is built upon such assumptions, and it mostly works. So I think you’re right for some, but many would perish at home, trying to outlast the day (and what if the night doesn’t cool?)

      • Rhaedas@fedia.io
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        4 months ago

        Water also disappears. At some point water is being pumped by a power source.

        • TachyonTele@lemm.ee
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          4 months ago

          Yup absolutely. Hopefully the people can do something about it actually do something. Not you and me, I mean the corporations that got us into this mess in the first place.