Heat wave

Greece experienced an almost 1% GDP loss as a result of the consequences of climate change, such as heatwaves and natural disasters, from the beginning of May to August 4, according to Allianz Research. The fact that this number effectively "takes away" less than half of the growth that the Greek economy is predicted to experience this year makes it incredibly significant.

July 2023 easily broke the record for the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, surpassing the previous record, which was July 2019, by 0.33°C.

Marked by heatwaves and wildfires around the world, last month's average air temperature was 0.72°C higher than the most recent July average from 1991 - 2020.

Tourists at a seaside hotel on the Greek island of Rhodes snatched up pails of pool water and damp towels as flames approached, rushing to help staffers and locals extinguish one of the wildfires threatening Mediterranean locales during recent heat waves.

A view of the Madeira River amid the drought in Porto Velho in the state of Rondonia, Brazil. With a heatwave in the southern hemisphere and record ocean temperatures, the ominous signs of climate change continue. This year, the Earth's surface registered the hottest temperature in history, exceeding centuries-old records in numerous regions.

A new heatwave from Africa will soon hit Türkiye, which is likely to push temperatures to 8 degrees above seasonal norms, Turkish State Meteorological Services has warned amid the scorching heat the country is facing.

Another heatwave is expected to push temperatures in many parts of Greece above the 40 degrees Celsius mark again this weekend, though forecasters are promising cooler weather at the start of next week.

Not only did the blistering heat in July set forests and towns alight, it also markedly increased the temperature of coastal waters, giving rise to a phenomenon known as a marine heatwave. 

​​​​​​In fact, when air tempratures peaked around July 25-27, the surface of the sea reached up to 30 degrees Celsius, as recorded in the southern Ionian Sea. 

With temperatures rising and heatwaves gripping Türkiye along the rest of the world, the environment minister has warned citizens to exercise caution against extreme heat, especially during the hottest hours of the day, after the weather bureau revealed its weekly forecast.

The return to temperatures in the 40s Celsius in the next few days and the longer-term forecasts for August, indicate a pattern of above-average temperatures for the month. August is expected to have temperatures up to six degrees (in terms of maximum) higher than the recent average, according to monthly projections, which however lack the precision of shorter-term statements.

Climate change is exacerbating weather extremes, making heat waves more frequent and more severe worldwide, and this summer has been the hottest on record.