The rising temperatures are in line with the forecasts of the United Nations Climate Committee IPCC. In their latest assessment report, climate researchers stress that heat waves will be more frequent and intense.

In June, the global average temperature was 0.32°C higher than the 30-year average. In Europe it was 1.6°C above average. This is the second warmest June ever measured in the last month. In Copernicus’ monthly climate bulletin, the researchers said maximum temperatures above 40 degrees were measured, especially in Spain, France and Italy.

drought

Heat causes drought in southern Europe. Italy declared a state of emergency in the north of the country. In 22 major cities, people are advised to stay out of the sun from 11am to 6pm and to avoid crowded places. The longest river in Italy, the Po River, is currently largely empty, and the water in other rivers is much less than usual. Water is now rationed.

By the way, the warm month of June comes after the warm month of May. At the time, southwestern Europe also had to deal with a rare heat wave in May, during which several local records were shattered.

In addition to the high temperatures in Europe, Copernican scholars also point to the extreme situation in the Horn of Africa and neighboring countries. There, the ongoing drought threatens the food security of millions of people.