Another year of scorching temperatures from the Middle East to sub-Saharan Africa and from Europe to the Indian subcontinent has experts increasingly worried. If nothing is done to slow climate change, record-breaking temperatures and deadly heatwaves will only become more frequent and intense, research has shown. "Climate (change) is sort of steroids for the weather. It’s loading the dice to make these sort of extreme events be more common," says Zeke Hausfather, a climate expert at the Breakthrough Institute in California. A recent study found that if the world keeps emitting at the same levels, in less than 30 years time some parts of the Middle East and North Africa will experience long periods of extreme heat of such magnitude that during these times life outdoors will be almost impossible to bear.

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Temperatures have smashed records around the world in recent months. This summer, for the second year in a row, Death Valley in California registered an astonishing 54.4 degrees Celsius. If confirmed, it would be the hottest temperature measured on Earth with modern instruments. But since reliable monitoring can be hard to come by, researchers think other places around the world could be even hotter. And these sweltering temperatures are already impacting the lives of millions around the world. July 2021 was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth* and experts are worried. *Source: NOAA.

Rising temperatures are a driving force behind more frequent and intense droughts, wildfires, storms and even floods. Increasing bouts of extreme heat are devastating for agriculture and farming and they are deadly for humans. Researchers have found that by mid century, if the world keeps emitting at the same levels , the Middle East and North Africa, already one of the hottest regions in the world, could experience temperatures of 56 degrees Celsius* and higher
*Source: ZITTIS ET AL, 2021

These periods of heat could extend for several weeks testing the limits of human survivability, and globally, if the world warms by 2 degrees Celsius, a quarter of the world’s population could be exposed to severe heat waves at least once every five years*
*Source: IPCC draft report, June 2021

For some, heat is only too familiar. Nayef and Saad are Bedouins. They follow a traditional lifestyle in Saudi Arabia’s Al Nufud Al Kabir desert. For generations, the family has raised camels under the scorching sun. But as temperatures rise to life-threatening levels, their livelihood and culture could soon be under threat.

Legend has it that the marshes that straddle the famous Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Iraq were home to the biblical Garden of Eden. They too could soon be in jeopardy. As conditions become harsher this local boat owner is considering leaving the marshland where he grew up.

As people leave rural areas, projections say cities will only grow larger. Temperatures in cities tend to be higher. Different factors, including the use of heat-trapping materials, exhaust from cars and a lack of vegetation create what is known as an “urban heat island.”

By the end of the century and if no action is taken to curb emissions, the world’s cities could warm by more than 4 degrees Celsius* on average making life outdoors in some places unbearable
*Source: ZHAO ET AL, 2021

In places with high humidity like Dubai, heat becomes even more dangerous. Together, high humidity and heat create so-called "wet-bulb temperatures." When this happens sweating becomes ineffective at cooling the body down. A healthy adult cannot survive past 6 hours if wet-bulb temperatures exceed 35 degrees Celsius. If emissions continue at the same levels as today, researchers have found parts of the Middle East and South Asia could regularly exceed this threshold by 2075.

In places where torrid temperatures are common, the only respite is air conditioned rooms, but this could be making things worse. In order to address these issues, cities around the world are looking to change their ways, through inviting nature back in or by choosing more energy efficient building materials.

But scientists have warned that unless drastic action is taken to reduce greenhouse emissions Earth’s climate could soon reach the point of no return

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