RT.com
06 Jul 2023, 11:44 GMT+10
The international body predicts a major uptick in droughts, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus has said climate change will drive a surge in "extreme weather events" in 2023, pointing to record-breaking temperatures around the globe this week.
Speaking during a Wednesday press briefing, Tedros said the "climate crisis" is now among the "major factors determining human health outcomes," warning that global warming could ultimately produce a "wave of hunger, migration and disease."
"Over the coming months, we expect a range of extreme weather events, including droughts, floods, hurricanes, and heatwaves, all of which harm human health," he said, also noting that Monday marked the "hottest day on record" for average temperatures around the world.
A "prolonged drought" and heat wave in the Horn of Africa has already had a major impact, putting great strain on local healthcare services, Tedros added. Containing Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda, the region recently suffered its worst drought in decades, with nearly 60 million people now food insecure.
Some countries have seen the "highest levels of severely malnourished children" in years, largely thanks to famine, the WHO chief said. While the drought in the region has "given way to heavy rain and flooding," hunger levels there "are expected to remain high."
Data released by the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) on Monday showed an average global temperature of 17.01 degrees Celsius (62.62F), an all-time high that easily beat the previous record of 16.92 degrees.
Locales from Texas to China to Antarctica have also been in the grips of major heat waves, which some climate scientists have attributed to overall global warming and a stronger-than-usual El Nino warm-weather pattern this year.
El Nino is a periodic weather cycle in which warm air is pushed away from the tropics in the Pacific Ocean, having far-ranging effects on temperature and rainfall around the world. The warm phase can produce extreme weather, including hurricanes, and recent research suggests such events have become more frequent over the years allegedly due to the effects of climate change.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Kenya Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Kenya Star.
More InformationTel Aviv [Israel], March 16 (ANI): Benjamin Netanyahu has given a green signal for continuing the negotiations towards bringing back...
Washington [US], Match 16 (ANI): Taiwanese director Julian Chou's 'Blind Love', a drama about a sensitive teenager who discovers his...
New Delhi [India], March 16 (ANI): Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Sunday said the rise of China as a dominant economic...
New Delhi [India] March 16 (ANI): Bangladesh all-rounder Mehidy Hasan on Sunday emphasised the need for immediate preparation for the...
Mangaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 16 (ANI): In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, the Mangaluru City Police have arrested two...
New Delhi [India], March 16 (ANI): On this day in 2012, legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar registered his 100th century in...
The former Russian president was responding to suggestions of such a deployment floated recently by the UK and France ...
Washington DC [US], March 17 (ANI): The Donald Trump administration is considering imposing a new travel ban that could affect citizens...
Tel Aviv [Israel], March 16 (ANI/TPS): Prime Minister Netanyahu is meeting Sunday evening with Shin Bet (Israel's anti-terror General...
Amritsar (Punjab) [India], March 16 (ANI): Two accused in connection with the Chung murder case has been arrested from Solan in Himachal...
New Delhi [India], March 16 (ANI): Indian experts have weighed in on the recent incidents in Pakistan, including the killing of Pakistani...
Washington has threatened additional attacks on the country, including on alleged Iranian assets ...