Episode description

Heatwaves are growing in frequency and intensity around the world due to climate change. Extreme heat is now gripping three continents - Europe, the US and Asia - and there is more to come. Temperatures are breaking records, driving wildfires and prompting serious health warnings and evacuations.

Europe may see its hottest week ever. Islands off the South of Italy - Sicily and Sardinia - recorded temperatures of 48 degrees Celsius according to the European Space Agency and at least 2,000 people have been evacuated due to wildfires on the Spanish island of La Palma.

In the US, a third of Americans are under extreme heat advisories.

Japan has issued heatstroke warnings for millions. Meanwhile South Korea’s president has vowed to “completely overhaul” the country’s approach to extreme weather from climate change as at least 40 people die from flooding and landslides.

So, what does extreme heat do to our bodies? How can countries and people adapt now - and in the future - to better deal with a hotter world? And are governments doing enough to deal with the effects of global warming and, if not, what more needs to be done?

Shaun Ley is joined by:

Dr Chandni Singh, senior researcher at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements and the lead author for Asia in the latest UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report

Jeff Goodell, journalist and author of 'The Heat Will Kill You First'

Dr Eleni Myrivili, Global Chief Heat Officer to UN Habitat and senior advisor for resilience and sustainability to the city authorities in Athens, the capital of Greece

Also featuring:

Dr Sharmistha Sarangi, an Internal Medicine Specialist in India

Photo: A child uses a fan as she and her mother wait at the entrance to the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, Spain, July 18, 2023 Credit: REUTERS/Nacho Doce

Produced by Pandita Lorenz and Rumella Desgupta