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Rescue team members walk through the flooded streets as rescue efforts continue on May 7, 2024 in Brazil. Photo: Jefferson Bernardes/Getty Images
Extreme weather events worsened by human-caused climate change continue to affect hundreds of millions of people around the world.
The big picture: Extreme heat has been seen everywhere from China to India, across the Middle East and into Europe and North America.
- May's global average surface temperature came in at 1.52°C (2.73°F) above preindustrial levels, according to the European Commission's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Between the lines: While global temperatures have now broken the 1.5°C target for a 12-month period, the Paris target specifies a 1.5°C increase compared to preindustrial levels over a 30-year global average.
The bottom line: Barring rapid and immediate emission cuts, continued warming will only make these extreme weather events more frequent and intense, particularly in the Global South.
Go Deeper: Heat waves not just scorching U.S.
