In Brazil's scorching heat, floods have claimed numerous lives and brought a city of approximately 4 million to a standstill.
Meanwhile, in India, home to the world's largest election, voters and politicians are grappling with temperatures soaring to 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Philippines is in the grip of a punishing heat wave, leading to school closures, fatalities in Thailand, and record-breaking temperatures in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, and Myanmar. Africa is also experiencing unprecedented heat, especially at night.
Houston is reeling from devastating floods, and the United States experienced the second-highest number of tornadoes in April.
These recent weeks have seen an unparalleled surge in extreme weather events globally, prompting climate scientists to note an unprecedented level of environmental upheaval. According to Jonathan Overpeck, dean of the University of Michigan's environment school, the rapid increase in global temperatures over the past 11 months is a harbinger of more severe climate disasters and human suffering in 2024.
Scientists attribute these extreme weather events to climate change, which is intensifying weather patterns and leading to more frequent and severe heatwaves, rainfall, and other extreme events. Alvaro Silva, a climate scientist at the World Meteorological Organization, highlighted the role of climate change in altering weather systems and the jet stream, causing weather patterns to stall over certain regions.
Silva also pointed to the weakening El Niño, a natural warming phenomenon in the central Pacific, which followed a three-year period of La Niña, its cooling counterpart. This, coupled with a record 13 consecutive months of hot ocean temperatures, has further exacerbated extreme weather.
Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist at Texas A&M University, noted that cities were designed for 20th-century climates and are ill-equipped to handle the increasing heat and precipitation brought on by climate change. Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist for the Nature Conservancy, emphasized that climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events globally, leaving communities vulnerable.
According to climatologist Maximiliano Herrera, 70 countries or territories have already broken heat records in the first five days of May. Parts of India and Southeast Asia experienced record-breaking temperatures, with some areas not dropping below 87.6 degrees Fahrenheit at night.
In Africa, countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are facing scorching heat, with temperatures exceeding 114 degrees Fahrenheit. In Mexico, Ciudad Altamirano recorded temperatures near 115 degrees Fahrenheit, part of a larger trend of record heat across Latin America.
In Brazil, record heat combined with moisture from the Amazon's "flying rivers" led to extreme rainfall and severe flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, claiming at least 90 lives and displacing over 204,000 people.
In the United Arab Emirates, April brought the heaviest rains ever recorded, leading to flooding in major highways and Dubai International Airport.