In Italy, where temperatures later in the week could push close to the European record of 48.8C set in the Sicilian town of Floridia in August 2021, Italians were warned to brace for "the most intense heatwave of the summer and also one of the most intense of all time".
As heatwaves engulfed large parts of the globe, temperatures in California's Death Valley, often among the hottest places on Earth, approached a world record on Sunday after reaching 53.3C.
China issued several temperature alerts on Sunday, warning of 39C in southern Guangxi region and 40-45C in the partly desert region of Xinjiang, where a temperature of 52.2C was recorded in the Sanbao township. In Japan, 60 people were treated for heatstroke as temperatures in the country reached highs of 39.1C.
In a stark warning to world leaders earlier yesterday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organization, wrote on Twitter: "In many parts of the world, today is predicted to be the hottest day on record. And these records have already been broken a few times this year. Heatwaves put our health and lives at risk. The #ClimateCrisis is not a warning. It's happening. I urge world leaders to ACT now."
This story is from the July 18, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 18, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
War Crimes France Says It Won't Arrest Netanyahu
The French government has claimed that Benjamin Netanyahu has immunity from arrest warrants issued by the international criminal court for war crimes on the grounds that Israel is not an ICC member.
Iran Sanctions 'Would Pose Risk To Nuclear Weapons Ban'
The nuclear debate inside Iran is likely to shift towards the possession of its own weapons if the west goes ahead with a threat to reimpose all UN sanctions, the country's foreign minister has said.
Police investigate more than 100 claims of rape and abuse by Fayed
Police believe Mohamed Al Fayed may have raped and abused more than 111 women over nearly four decades and that his youngest victim was just 13 years old.
I did not mean to make light of self-harm, says Guardiola
Pep Guardiola has said he did not intend to \"make light of the very serious issue of self-harm\" when he answered a question relating to a cut he made on his nose during Manchester City's 3-3 draw with Feyenoord.
Maeda saves point for Celtic after costly error by Carter-Vickers
There were spells in this game when Club Brugge resembled a reincarnation of 1970 Brazil. As Cameron Carter-Vickers bundled home an embarrassing own goal to send the Belgians in front, it looked a matter of how many they would choose to score.
Amorim: Rashford has to 'really want' to find form
Ruben Amorim believes Marcus Rashford has to \"really want it\" if the forward is to recapture his 30-goal Manchester United form of two seasons ago.
Mac Allister kickstarts Liverpool party to keep up perfect record
Arne Slot's Liverpool reboot has its latest dividend. His team continues to boast the only 100% record in the Champions League group stage and this was not just another victory, it was a swatting aside of the holders, a statement of intent.
Martínez reactions hold up Juve before Rogers denied at the last
Three minutes of second-half stoppage time had been and gone when Morgan Rogers thought he had snatched victory with surely the final kick.
FA investigates claims Coote discussed giving booking
The Football Association is investigating allegations that the referee David Coote discussed giving a yellow card before a game.
To see the impact the club has, it's really extraordinary
As they gear up for a famous night at Old Trafford, this is how Bodø/Glimt became one of Europe's big success stories
