UN chief: Heat kills rich and poor people worldwide

By Chelsea Harvey | 07/26/2024 06:30 AM EDT

Hundreds of thousands of people die from extreme temperatures every year, more than any other type of weather disaster.

Deb Billet, 66, is loaded into an ambulance after suffering heat-related symptoms this month in Henderson, Nevada.

Deb Billet, 66, is loaded into an ambulance after suffering heat-related symptoms this month in Henderson, Nevada. John Locher/AP

The United Nations chief implored government leaders to protect the Earth’s 8.1 billion people from withering heat waves that in recent days have caused deaths, blackouts and drought conditions around the world.

The urgent plea came days after the planet set a new record for the hottest day ever recorded — and then immediately broke it.

On one level, the four-point call-to-action seems almost quaint. Scientists and health officials have known for decades that people have been heating up the planet at great risk to themselves.

Advertisement

But the stark warning delivered by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres underscored how the consequences of global warming have become more apparent — and dangerous — in recent years.

GET FULL ACCESS