The world has just experienced the hottest week on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
This follows on from the hottest recorded June, with unprecedented sea surface temperatures and record low Antarctic sea ice coverage.
Temperatures in the Cayman Islands also continue to be uncomfortably high with the heat index – or real feel – reaching 105 degrees Fahrenheit every day since Friday, 7 July.
And with the hot weather comes increased utility bills as residents use fans and air conditioning to stay cool, as well as public health risks from overheating.
In June, John Tibbetts, director general of the Cayman Islands National Weather Service, said climate change is causing more frequent and intense heatwaves.
“The dangers to human health from heatwaves are significantly increased when accompanied with high humidity,” he told the Compass in an emailed comment.
“The high ‘real feel’ temperatures we are experiencing in the Cayman Islands are consistent with the expected impacts of climate change on our air temperatures.”
Tibbetts said data shows that average annual air temperatures have increased by about 2.2 degrees Celsius over the past 40 years in the Cayman Islands.
He explained that within the draft Climate Change Policy there are several strategies to directly help Cayman communities and vulnerable groups deal with higher temperatures.
According to provisional analysis, the average global temperature on 7 July was 17.24 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit).
This is 0.3°C above the previous record of 16.94 °C (62 degrees Fahrenheit) on 16 Aug. 2016 – a strong El Niño year.
Meanwhile, a report from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service showed that June 2023 was just over 0.5°C above the 1991-2020 average.
Record temperatures were experienced across northwest Europe, parts of Canada, the United States, Mexico, Asia, and eastern Australia.
Christopher Hewitt, director of climate services at the World Meteorological Organization, said the high June temperature is related to the onset of El Niño.
The weather phenomenon is expected to further fuel the heat both on land and in the oceans, and lead to more extreme temperatures and marine heatwaves.
“We are in uncharted territory and we can expect more records to fall as El Niño develops further and these impacts will extend into 2024,” Hewitt said in a press release.
Global sea surface temperatures were at a record high for the time of the year both in May and June.
The climate change service suspects this was caused by a combination of short-term anomalous circulation in the atmosphere and longer-term changes in the ocean.
Michael Sparrow, head of World Meteorological Organization’s World Climate Research Division, said the temperatures in the North Atlantic are of great concern.
“They are much higher than anything the models predicted. This will have a knock-on effect on ecosystems and fisheries and on our weather.” he said.
“The North Atlantic is one of the key drivers of extreme weather. With the warming of the Atlantic there is an increasing likelihood of more hurricanes and tropical cyclones.”
Stay safe in the sun
Dr. Elizabeth McLaughlin, head of the Accident and Emergency Department at the Cayman Islands Hospital, offered advice for hot days:
- Stay out of the sun and indoors as much as possible, especially between 11am and 3pm.
- Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing and sunscreen.
- Stay hydrated with water or non-alcoholic drinks.
- Avoiding extreme exercise.
- Cool the skin (ice packs wrapped in cloth under the armpits or around the neck, spraying skin with cool water).
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