By Sharon Kimathi
Hello,
This week’s volatile weather has brought devastation across the globe, with severe heatwaves gripping Europe and North America while deadly flash floods hit parts of Africa.
We’ll look at Ukrainian soldiers battling Russian forces in sweltering temperatures, Spanish authorities fighting wildfires and French officials assessing the toll of heat-related deaths among older people.
Meanwhile, Canada has issued heat warnings and urged residents to check on vulnerable relatives and neighbours, while soccer fans attending World Cup matches in Toronto have been advised to limit alcohol consumption and stay hydrated.
In Africa, meanwhile, deadly floods in Ghana and Ivory Coast have highlighted concerns over increasingly extreme weather.
Holding the line in harsh conditions
In a leafy, secluded area of Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, Sympatiaha's fellow servicemen sat atop their tank, splashing water from a bottle onto their faces in an effort to cool down.
Temperatures in the region hovered around 36 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday. Despite the punishing heat, the crew said they remained committed to preventing Russian troops from advancing.
"Despite the harsh weather conditions — scorching heat now, freezing temperatures and mud in winter — we're still holding the line," chief sergeant of the tank battalion of the 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade, using call sign "Sympatiaha", told Reuters.
Elsewhere, Ukrainians were bracing for the return of hourly power cuts as rising temperatures drove up electricity consumption, largely due to higher demand for air conditioning.
In France, the health ministry recorded at least 300 excess deaths during unusually early heatwaves in May that triggered amber alerts across 17 departments. Officials said the figure was a preliminary estimate based on unconsolidated all-cause mortality data and mostly involved people aged 75 and over.
Spain recorded 1,029 excess deaths last month attributable to heat, official data showed, after a five-day heatwave pushing temperatures above 40 C made it the country’s second-hottest June on record.
Southern France and Greece also battled deadly wildfires this week caused by heatwaves.
In Toronto and other parts of eastern Canada, dangerously hot conditions prompted Environment Canada to issue heat warnings and urge residents to check on older adults and people living alone.
Authorities have set up mobile drinking-water stations in parks and extended swimming pool opening hours as the World Cup takes place.
Deadly floods hit Ivory Coast and Ghana
Floods in Ivory Coast have killed 59 people, government spokesman Amadou Coulibaly said after a cabinet meeting, adding that rescue teams were continuing searches amid fears the toll could rise.
Neighbouring Ghana has also been hit by heavy rains, with at least 12 people killed after large parts of the country and the capital, Accra, were flooded.
Preliminary data showed about 140 millimetres of rain fell on Accra, President John Dramani Mahama said, adding it was the highest rainfall recorded in years.
He said the highest single-day rainfall recorded last year was around 56 millimetres.
The scale of rainfall was driven by changing climate conditions, Mahama said, adding it was beyond the government's control.
Talking Points
Venezuela rescuers: Citizens such as Alexander Delgado, a physical education teacher at a school in the central Venezuelan state of Aragua, have been running rescue crews staffed by a rotating cast of neighbours and volunteers, trying to supplement what they describe as a slow and inadequate state response to the country's strongest earthquakes in a century. Click here for the full Reuters report.
Romania’s deadly storm: A powerful storm tore through Romania on Wednesday, killing one person and damaging dozens of homes and vehicles, emergency services officials said. The storm was preceded by a heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 40 C in parts of the country on Monday and Tuesday, boosting power consumption and raising electricity prices.
TotalEnergies Nigeria lawsuit: Several nonprofits including Friends of the Earth France sued oil major TotalEnergies in a French civil court this week, seeking to obtain environmental documents related to an onshore Nigerian oil asset it is attempting to sell. Nigeria has struggled with hundreds of oil spills due to theft, sabotage and operational issues that have led to costly repairs, high-profile lawsuits and the departure of operator Shell.
U.S. deportation protections end: Families that benefited from Temporary Protected Status now live in fear they could be detained and deported at any time after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last Thursday that the Trump administration could end TPS for Haitians and Syrians. Click here for an insightful Reuters article.
South Africa xenophobia: While thousands of immigrants packed up and left South Africa ahead of the June 30 protests, many more feel their best option is to stay, even though the country has turned hostile. Click here to learn more about the stories of the families that plan to stay as they escaped hardship and humanitarian crises in their homelands to live and work in South Africa.
Gaza humanitarian crisis: Israeli authorities and security forces deliberately targeted Palestinian children, resulting in genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza, and war crimes in the occupied West Bank, according to a report by the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
ESG Lens
to view a Reuters interactive map showing areas covered by the latest U.S. National Weather Service watches, warnings and advisories as a "heat dome" is expected to drive dangerous temperatures across the eastern United States over the Independence Day weekend.
Today’s Sustainable Switch was edited by Mark Potter
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