The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
From Death Valley to the Swiss mountains, extreme weather records hit new heights
As sweltering conditions continue to grip large parts of Europe, temperatures have “reached new heights” in Switzerland, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned on Tuesday.
Speaking in Geneva, WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis said that a new altitude record for the freezing point had been set a day earlier, climbing to 5298 metres (17,381 feet) – well above Europe’s very highest peaks including Mont Blanc, at 4,811 metres (15,784 feet).
WMO figures show that this is 115 metres above the previous record of 25 July 2022 and the highest since measurements began in 1954.
Chilling effect
Ms. Nullis explained that the freezing level had been measured by a Meteo-Suisse weather balloon above Payerne in the western canton of Vaud. “The impact of this heat on glaciers is playing out before our eyes,” she said. “The freezing level in the glaciers, [and] the disappearance of snow was dramatic last year. Unfortunately, with this latest heatwave, that trend is continuing.”
Meanwhile, large parts of Switzerland are on level three amber alert or the top-level red alert until Thursday, the WMO spokesperson said. Temperatures in much of the southern half of France are forecast to be “above 37C” on Tuesday, “reaching a peak of 40C to 42C in the Drome region.
Heat is on
The WMO spokesperson pointed out that French national weather forecaster Météo-France had issued an amber alert for 49 departments and a red alert for four. The French national meteorological service said that numerous station records had fallen - both maximum daytime temperatures and minimum overnight ones, which have a particular impact on health. Ms. Nullis warned that there were also red alerts in parts of Italy, Croatia and Portugal and widespread amber heat alerts in neighbouring countries.
On the other hand, parts of Europe and in particular Scandinavia have seen “unusually heavy precipitation. Norway once again on Tuesday issued a red alert for heavy rainfall, “a life-threatening risk in the southern part of the country”, Ms. Nullis added.
In response to questions about the how many people are at risk from the unrelenting heat, UN World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson, Tarik Jašarević, said that statistics from last summer showed that more than 61,000 people had died from heat-related causes in 35 European countries in summer 2022.
Glacier marker
The impact of extreme temperatures on glaciers is under investigation, but the effects of the heatwave are clear, with snow cover now present only at the highest elevations in Switzerland, according to WMO.
The UN agency defines heatwaves as “a period of statistically unusual hot weather persisting for a number of days and nights”. The current baseline used to gauge how extreme conditions are is the 30-year period from 1991 to 2020.
Although the meteorological summer is coming to an end in the northern hemisphere, it is impossible to state with any certainty whether the current heatwave will be the last this season. And although there had been expert discussions on naming heatwaves in the same way as tropical cyclones, WMO has no plans to do so, maintaining that the two weather systems are not comparable and that such a move might detract from public safety messaging.
Americas alert
Outside Europe, sweltering conditions have continued in much of the central and southern USA, with multiple excessive heat warnings issued in the central Plains States and Texas. Tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic has also been “ramping up”, said Ms. Nullis, adding that three tropical systems – Gert, Franklin, and Harold – were of “particular concern”.
Franklin has brought the risk of flooding to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, while Harold is predicted to make landfall in southern Texas bringing very heavy rainfall and the risk of flash-flooding at a time when the state was battling extreme heat and drought.
Ms. Nullis said that hurricane Hilary had now dissipated but had reached parts of southern California, which rarely witnessed such rainfall. Virtually all precipitation records in Los Angeles had been broken, the WMO official added, noting that Death Valley has just seen its all-time wettest day on record, with 2.20 inches (55.88 mm) of rainfall, breaking the previous record of 1.70 inches set in August 2022.
In a related development, WMO’s Greater Horn of Africa Weather Forum was due to meet on Tuesday, before issuing its latest update for the rest of the year.
ends
STORY: EXTREME WEATHER UPDATE
TRT: 02:36”
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
DATELINE: 22 AUGUST 2023, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
SHOTLIST
- Exterior wide shot, United Nations flag flying.
- Wide shot of panel.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Clare Nullis, WMO spokesperson: “Switzerland has a new altitude record for the freezing point of 5298 meters. So that's the 17,381 feet, and that was measured by a Meteo-Suisse radiosonde carried by a weather balloon above Payerne.”
- Side view of attendees at briefing.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Clare Nullis, WMO spokesperson: “This heat on glaciers is, you know, playing out before our eyes as we speak. The freezing level in the glaciers, the disappearance of snow was dramatic last year. And unfortunately, with this latest heat wave that trend is continuing.”
- Close of screen with speakers.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Tarik Jašarević, WHO spokesperson: “ There was a study published on July 10th by researchers from European health institutes. And in this study, there is an estimate that more than 61,000 people died from heat related causes across 35 European countries in summer 2022.”
- Close of lap top screens.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Clare Nullis, WMO spokesperson: “Temperatures in much of the southern half of France for the next couple of days are forecast to be above 37 degrees Celsius and reaching a peak of 40 to 42 degrees Celsius in the Drome region. Meteo France has issued an amber alert for 49 departments and the top level red alert for four departments today.”
- Close of attendees typing.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Clare Nullis, WMO spokesperson: “There are red alerts in parts of Italy, Croatia, Portugal and widespread amber heat alerts in neighboring countries. It's not uniform. We tend to, you know, we've been talking a lot about heat. Parts of Europe, in particular Scandinavia, have seen unusually heavy precipitation.”
- Cameras with panellists in background.
- SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Clare Nullis, WMO spokesperson: “Norway once again today has a red alert for heavy for heavy rainfall. So a life threatening risk in the southern part of the country for heavy rainfall.”
- Close of laptop with speaker in background.
- Side view of attendees at briefing
- Close of attendees typing.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Repeated attacks on humanitarian warehouses put vital medical aid at risk in Ukraine - WHO
A new airstrike overnight damaged one of the main warehouses used by the UN health agency to store humanitarian medical supplies in the Kyiv region, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. This is the third attack to affect a WHO-used storage in the last three months.
2
2
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | WMO
Powerful El Niño heightens extreme-weather risks through 2027, as countries brace for impact - WMO
Fuelled by extraordinarily warm waters across the tropical Pacific Ocean, the El Niño climate pattern is expected to intensify in the coming months. Forecasters are almost certain that it will persist through February next year, with unusually warm conditions expected across the globe.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , IFRC , UN WOMEN , WHO
Nepal flood deaths near 1,000 as those spared struggle to survive – UN humanitarians
With the death toll in Nepal’s catastrophic flash floods inching towards 1,000, rescue workers are facing harsh conditions while survivors lack access to food, safe water and health care, humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNDRR , IFRC , WHO
Nepal: Flooding disaster “not over” as humanitarians work around the clock
While search and rescue efforts continued Friday following flash floods and mudslides in northern Nepal, UN humanitarians are taking stock of the devastation amid concerns over more flooding to come.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNIFIL
Damaged roads, disrupted services and renewed military activity are putting civilians at risk in south Lebanon, UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) warns.
The UN peacekeeping mission is urging restraint and renewed political engagement to prevent further escalation.
1
1
1
Edited News | ICRC , UNODA
Amid unconfirmed reports that fully autonomous and AI-guided drones are now being used on the battlefield, UN chief António Guterres and the President of the Red Cross on Tuesday renewed their urgent call for stricter controls, before it is too late.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Somalia: child hunger surges as humanitarian aid dries up – UNICEF
The global funding crisis for vital lifesaving work is taking a growing toll on the most vulnerable children in Somalia, where hundreds of health and nutrition facilities have been forced to close, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA
As the deadliest Ebola outbreak in DR Congo’s history continued spreading on Friday, UN responders renewed their urgent appeal for immediate international support, with existing funding for lifesaving work critically low.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
DRC: In the fight against Ebola, bikers transporting dead bodies hold key to community engagement - WHO
From the frontlines of the deadliest-ever Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) shared details on Tuesday of a massive push for community engagement, a day after yet another ambulance attack.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNFPA
Sudan: The harrowing reality of giving birth in a war zone
Sudanese women about to give birth are losing their babies and sometimes their own lives because of a lack of specialist healthcare support, amid the ongoing war, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , WHO
Colombia earthquake: International teams ready to support, says UN
As earthquake rescue efforts across western Colombia continued on Tuesday, UN agencies said that they stood ready to help “with everything we've got” if and when the request came from the authorities.
2
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences | HRC
Myanmar's military has carried out a sustained campaign of deliberate attacks on civilians – including airstrikes on homes, schools and camps for displaced people, alongside arbitrary detention, torture and sexual violence – Human Rights Council-appointed investigators said on Tuesday.