A number of heat waves began across parts of the northern hemisphere in April 2023. Various heat records have been broken, with July being the hottest month ever recorded.
Scientists have attributed the heat waves to man-made climate change. Another cause is the El Niño phenomena which began to develop in 2023. However, recent findings show that climate change is exacerbating the strength of El Niño.
The heatwaves caused severe damage in areas such as the western United States, southern Europe, and parts of Asia. The abnormal temperatures have led to a "very extreme" likelihood of wildfires, according to the Fire Weather Index.
The heatwaves were also occurring alongside some unusually heavy flooding (i.e. the 2023 European floods).
In response to the heatwave some leaders called for greater action to stop climate change. US President Joe Biden took some measures to protect the population from extreme heat.
Background
Heat waves are one of the deadliest hazards, and in line with the IPCC prediction their frequency and magnitude are rising due to man-made climate change. The July heat wave in Southern Europe and North America would be virtually impossible and the heat wave in China would be a 1 in 250-year event without climate change. But due to climate change those events are now common.
July 2023 was the hottest July on Earth in the last 120,000 years and the hottest July from the beginning of temperature measurement with a wide margin. During each day in July 2023, two billion people experienced heat conditions made at least three times more likely due to climate change and 6.5 billion people experienced this impact at least one day in the month.
Another cause is the El Niño phenomena which began to develop in 2023. El Niño begin when parts of the Pacific Ocean became warmer than average and generally cause a rise in the global temperature as it "is moving some of the energy up from depth and dumping it into the atmosphere", However, recent findings show that climate change is exacerbating the strength of El Niño. It is increasing "the "variability" of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation" creating both stronger El Niño and La Niña events.
Climate change may also cause changes in the jet streams that probably contributed to the heat waves. Warming in certain Arctic regions makes the jet stream weaker and wavier, causing different weather patterns to stay longer over the same place.
International 2023 was the hottest year on record, 1.48 °C warmer than the pre-industrial level.
The world breached the Paris Agreement 1.5 °C warming mark for a record number of days. From January to September, the global mean temperature was 1.40 °C higher than the pre-industrial average (1850–1900). January 2023 was the seventh warmest on record – 0.25 °C warmer than the normal but 0.33 °C cooler than January 2020. In July, the global average temperature was 17.32 °C (63.17 °F).
Oceans
Above-average temperatures in the northeastern South Pacific were recorded in March 2023. The average sea temperature of the North Atlantic Ocean was on 5 March, exceeding the previous record set in 2020 by 0.1 °C. On 5 June, the recorded temperature rose to , surpassing a record set in 2010 by 0.1 °C. On 1 August 2023, the average sea surface temperature reached , the highest ever recorded. In September, the sea ice in Antarctica was far below any previous recorded winter level.
Africa North Africa There was a three-day heatwave in the Western Mediterranean region, originating in North Africa, from 26 to 28 April. The temperature reached over in parts of Morocco and Algeria. Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia still reached temperatures of up to on 13 July. Another heat wave hit Tabarka, Tunisia, on 14 July.
Data recorded on 18 July showed temperatures of in Tozeur, Tunisia, in Chlef, Algeria (with many other places exceeding ), and in Kharga, Egypt. There had been a week of power cuts and temperatures in Cairo by 19 July.
The heat wave became even more intense in the following days. Data recorded on 23 July showed temperatures of in Algiers, Algeria, the highest recorded temperature in the city, as well as temperatures in Kairouan, Tunisia. On 24 July, Tunis, Tunisia reached a temperature of . On 24 July, Ghar el-Melh in northern Tunisia reached a temperature of .
Heavy rain flooded Al-Marj and Derna on 12 September, killing nearly 250 in Derna, Libya. Up to 20,000 were killed on 14 September, as new floods hit Bengazi, Libya.
Sub-Saharan Africa Data recorded on 18 July showed temperatures of in the Faya station, Chad and temperatures in Bilma, Niger. 20 July saw temperatures suddenly drop to a seasonal low.
Asia
Middle East A heat wave in early June hit Israel, with temperatures between in Jerusalem and in the Jordan Valley. Along with high winds, the heat wave caused hundreds of bushfires. Roads and some buildings were evacuated amid rolling electricity outages on 2 July. Firefighters quickly controlled the fires, limiting property damage. In Iran, a heat index was recorded at Persian Gulf International Airport on 16 July. Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia recorded on 18 July.
A local record rainfall was recorded as around 125 kilograms per square meter of rainfall (equivalent to the usual amount for the whole of September) hit Istanbul in under 6 hours on 7 September according to the city's governor as heavy rain fell across north west Turkey's Black Sea coast. Floods also hit houses areas in Igneada district of Kirklareli, Turkey on that day. Heavy rainstorms triggered flash floods across northwest Turkey, killing at least 6 according to the state broadcaster, TRT Haber.
Other parts of Asia February 2023 was recorded as the warmest February in India for 122 years. Starting in April 2023, a record-breaking heat wave in Asia has affected multiple countries, including India, China, Laos and Thailand. Turkmenistan recorded temperatures in early April. The European Union's Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service said on 26 April that fires started in May continued to burn from Russia's Chelyabinsk, Omsk and Novosibirsk Oblasts, Primorye Krai, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Temperatures over were recorded in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and China on 31 May.
Beijing hit on 6 June after ten days of temperatures above . The government ordered all employers to stop any outdoor work and for people to work from home if possible. Parts of Mongolia recorded , especially in eastern steppe and southern Gobi provinces, with a prediction of for 21 June, in the Khanbogd Soum. Heatstroke claimed 22 lives in Mardan and Islamabad, Pakistan on 26 June.
On 16 July, China recorded a record-breaking temperature of at Aydang, Turpan, Xinjiang Province as well as Sanbao, China. Temperatures above persisted for four weeks in Beijing. The Japanese government and NHK issued health advice to the general public as heatstroke alerts for 20 of the country's 47 prefectures, mostly east and southwest on 16 July. Temperatures nearing were recorded in Kiryu city, Gunma Prefecture, Hachioji in western Tokyo, Hirono town in Fukushima Prefecture and Nasushiobara.
Torrential rain poured down in northern Japan, causing floods and a resultant landslide on 16 July.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issued a heat wave warning on the 19th and warned people to expected temperatures of 33 °C for the foreseeable future, with southern Gangwon Province, North Chungcheong Province and some southern regions to see some rain which was expected to be about 5 to 20 millimetres in total depth on the 19th.
On the 20th a heatwave is declared in Mongolia after temperatures of continue in the Khanbogd soum.
Japan's government and Fire and Disaster Management Agency responded to the ongoing excessive heat by issuing more health advisory notices to the public on 19 July. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency's official weekly statistics for 19 July showed 8,189 (4,484 were 65 or over) were hospitalized that week, up 200% compared to the previous week and the same week in 2022. Tokyo had the highest number with 1,066, up 460% compared to 2022. 3,215 got heatstroke at home 1,445 got it outside nationwide. 3 people had also died that week as the heat reached 39 °C in many parts of Japan on 19 July.
South Korea and China had reported deadly floods due to unusually heavy rains, leaving several dozen people dead on the 23rd. The record heat continued in Japan and Korea on the 23rd.
The remnants of Typhoon Doksuri hits Hebei province and Beijing, killing 21 people as it did so. 744.8 millimeters (29.3 inches) of rain fell on Beijing between July 26 and August 2 according to the Beijing Meteorological Bureau as Beijing and the province of Hebei had floods that destroyed roads, knocked out power and cut water pipes. Zhuozhou, in Hebei was so badly hit that local police posted a plea on Weibo for lights to assist rescue workers in the devastated city.
August It was at Seoul, S. Korea on August 4.
33 died on 14 August as a flood induced landslide hit villages in India's Himalayan regions.
September Flood induced landslides hit Shimla in the Indian Himalayas on 7 September.
October High temperatures, a sand storm and air pollution form a toxic smog over Dushanbe on 8 October.
Europe The Balkans
July Athens records a temperature of and Santorini hits on 19 July 2023.
Bush fires hit Rhodes on 22 and 23 July.
Bush fires hit Lardos and Kiotari, Greece on 23 July. Rhodes was on the 23rd, with the evacuation of tourists starting that day. Eight EU countries sent firemen to help Greece, while Israel, Jordan and Turkey sent mostly aerial equipment to the Greek fire brigade.
Corfu is hit by forest and bush fires. Tourists are evacuated from Corfu in response on the 25th.
Albania set its all-time high temperature record at in Kuçovë on 24 July.
Wildfires hit Turkey, Bulgaria, Croatia, Albania, North Macedonia, Greece and southern Italy on the 26th and 27th.
The 27th saw wild fires in and around Sicily, Dubrovnik, Rhodes, Gran Canaria, Lisbon and Cascais in Portugal.
August Heavy rain causes mass flooding in Slovenia on the 6th and 7th, killing seven people and causing over $500 million worth of damage over 66% of the nation's area and is reported as the worst natural disaster to have hit the country in history.
Over 600 firefighters from Greece and several other European countries, along with a fleet of water-dropping planes and helicopters, fought major wildfires in Greece, 20 people have died in the fires by 27 August.
September Heavy rainstorms hit Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria on 7 September, killing 11 leading to the declaration of a state of emergency in the affected region of Bulgaria.
Heavy rains hit the Pagasetic Gulf and central Greece. Kala Nera village and the nearby port city of Volos were flooded by heavy rains on 7 September in which 2 people died. Larissa was evacuated due to heavy flooding, central Greece, on 7 September. The Greek Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Vassilis Kikilias urged people to stay indoors on 7 September.
Heavy floods along Bulgaria's Black Sea coast triggered a state of emergency in that region of Bulgaria on 7 September.
The Iberian Peninsula
April Europe broke its temperature record for April when the air at Córdoba Airport reached . On 26 April, a Sentinel-2 image showed that the Fuente de Piedra Lagoon went completely dry for the first time. A rapid attribution study by World Weather Attribution found that the heatwave would probably have been more than 2 °C cooler without climate change and that climate change made the heat wave 100 times more likely to occur.
July Temerities for 19 July 2023 stood at. Seville . Madrid . Catalonia- 45.3 C (113 F) (an all-time record). A forest fire hit La Palma on 22 July that led to 500 people being evacuated. The 27th saw wild fires in and around Sicily, Dubrovnik, Rhodes, Gran Canaria, Lisbon and Cascais in Portugal.
August