STORY: Heatwaves wreak havoc across North Hemisphere, sound climate alarm
DATELINE: July 24, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:35
LOCATION: Beijing
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT/SOCIETY
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of street views in the Northern Hemisphere
2. various of views in Mexico
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): Resident in Mexicali, Mexico
4. various of views in the U.S.
5. various of U.S. temperature map
6. various of views in Italy
7. SOUNDBITE 2 (Italian): Resident in Florence, Italy
8. various of wildfires in Greece, Spain and Türkiye
9. various of the wildfire on La Palma
10. various of views in Greece
11. various of views in Cyprus
12. various of views in the Northern Hemisphere
 
STORYLINE:
 
Intense heatwaves are scorching vast parts of the Northern Hemisphere. The high temperature has not only threatened people's health, but also resulted in natural disasters.
 
In Mexico, at least 100 people had died of heat-related causes last month as temperatures climbed over 40 degrees Celsius in some areas.
 
SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): Resident in Mexicali, Mexico
"It's too hot. It's the hottest time now. You have to buy energy drinks to keep hydrated, and stay in the shade. Especially after 12 at noon, you have to hide from the sun and stay in an air-conditioned room, and remember to drink water from time to time."
 
As of July 16, more than 80 million people in the United States had been put under heat alerts as oppressive heatwave continues to sweep across the country.
 
Extreme heat warnings were issued across Europe last week as the best part of the continent was gripped by the most intense heatwave since records began.
 
In Italy, red alerts were in force on Wednesday last week in all but four of the country's 27 main metropolitan areas.
 
SOUNDBITE 2 (Italian): Resident in Florence, Italy
"The situation, as you can see here in Florence, is getting worse and worse. The heat is atrocious and we can no longer tolerate this climate."
 
The excessive heat has sparked wildfires in countries like Greece, Spain, and Türkiye, causing massive economic and social damage.
 
In Spain, a wildfire on the Canary Island of La Palma has burned over 3,500 hectares of land and destroyed around 20 houses and buildings.
 
Many countries have rolled out a series of measures to brace for the blistering heat.
 
In Greece, air conditioners have been installed in almost all homes, hospitals, restaurants, and hotels.
 
The government's Department of Labor in Cyprus issued safety instructions for people working outdoors, advising those who do strenuous manual work to take a 30-minute break after 30 minutes of work.
 
With 60,000 deaths in Europe last year due to extreme heat, a top World Health Organization (WHO) official said recently that the number of deaths from extreme heat "is set to rise year-on-year."
 
The WHO's Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said there is a desperate and urgent need for regional and global action to effectively tackle the climate crisis, which poses an existential threat to the human race.
 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing.
(XHTV)