The year 2024 has witnessed the breaking of numerous heat records, indicating an ongoing trend of increasing temperatures globally due to the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. According to Randall Cerveny, a professor at Arizona State University, temperature records in various regions, including India, the Middle East, and the U.S. Southwest, have been exceptionally high this year.

Las Vegas, Nevada, experienced a historic high of 120.02 degrees Fahrenheit (48.9 degrees Celsius) for the first time on record, creating extreme and life-threatening conditions. Cerveny described the heat as suffocating, with people ill-prepared to deal with such intense temperatures.

Several other locations worldwide also saw record-breaking temperatures in 2024. One such example is Aswan, Egypt, which reached 121.28 degrees Fahrenheit (49.6 degrees Celsius), surpassing its previous record set in 1961. Similarly, Geraldton, Australia, recorded a high of 120.74 degrees Fahrenheit (49.3 degrees Celsius), breaking the previous record from 1954.

Other areas such as Gaya, India, and Vinh, Vietnam, also experienced unprecedented heat waves this year, underscoring the global climate crisis. Each new record, even if only slightly higher than the previous one, is significant, highlighting the continuous rise in temperatures with alarming frequency.

These records emphasize the urgent need for proactive measures to address climate change and its detrimental effects on the environment and human health. The trend of escalating temperatures serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adopting sustainable practices to protect the planet for future generations.