WMO: Heatwave brings health warnings as extreme weather grips globe

Temperatures were expected to reach record highs in Italy on Tuesday and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned of an increased risk of deaths as heatwaves and extreme weather gripped parts of Europe, Asia and the United States.

The Mediterranean island of Sardinia could see highs of more than 47 Celsius and forecasters said temperatures could hit 40 degrees in several Italian cities, including 42-43 degrees in the Lazio region that includes Rome.

With baking temperatures hitting Europe during the peak summer tourist season, the WMO said the heatwave in the northern hemisphere was set to intensify over the coming days and warned of an increased risk to health. An estimated 61,000 people may have died in heatwaves last year in Europe alone.

Heatwaves this summer, which saw temperatures climb to 53 degrees in California's Death Valley and over 52 degrees in China’s northwest, have coincided with wildfires from Greece to the Swiss Alps and deadly flooding in India and South Korea.

They have added fresh urgency to talks this week between the United States and China, the world’s top greenhouse gas polluters.

US climate envoy John Kerry met Chinese officials in Beijing and expressed hope that climate cooperation could redefine troubled ties between the two powers.

The heat in Europe could also prompt a lasting shift in tourist habits, with more people choosing cooler destinations or travelling in spring or autumn, tourism organisations predicted.

Scientists have long warned that climate change, caused by greenhouse gas emissions mainly from burning fossil fuels, will make heatwaves more frequent, severe and deadly.