Extended heatwave to test survivability limits

From Nigeria to Japan, Pakistan to Spain, the month of June was the hottest ever recorded in 12 countries and was exceptionally warm in 26 other countries, according to AFP analysis of data from the European monitor Copernicus.

Some 790 million people around Europe, Asia and Africa experienced their hottest June to date. For the residents of 26 other states, including Britain, China, France, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia, the month of June was the second hottest on record.

Heatwaves are more frequent and intense because of global warming, experts say.

Temperatures soared to record highs for June in Pakistan, home to a population of 250 million, and in Tajikistan, which has 10 million people. The June records followed an exceptionally hot spring in Central Asia. Several countries including Pakistan and Tajikistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan experienced their warmest spring (April-June) ever recorded.

For hundreds of millions of people living in Pakistan and India extended summer heatwaves have become a terrifying reality that's testing survivability limits and putting enormous strain on energy supplies, vital crops and livelihoods.

Both countries experience heatwaves during the summer months of May and June. Ayoub Khosa, who lives in Dera Murad Jamali, said the heatwave had arrived with an "intensity that caught many off guard," creating severe challenges for its residents.

"One of the major issues is the persistent power outages," said Khosa, who told CNN they could last for up to 16 hours a day. "This has intensified the impact of the heat, making it harder for people to cope," he said.

Testing survivability limits

Experts say the rising temperatures are testing human limits.

Pakistan and India, both countries with glaring disparities in development, are expected to be among the nations worst affected by the climate crisis — with more than 1 billion people predicted to be impacted on the subcontinent.

The cascading effects will be devastating. Likely consequences range from a lack of food and drought to flash floods from melting ice caps, according to Mehrunissa Malik, a climate change and sustainability expert from Islamabad.

Heatwaves have in the past have increased demand for electricity, leading to coal shortages while leaving millions without power. Trains have been cancelled to conserve energy, and schools have been forced shut, impacting learning.