Eye-Catching Moments: As Temperatures Soar, Global Citizens Embrace Water and Shade to Keep Cool

Across the globe, millions are seeking solace from the relentless heat as climate change, a powerful El Nino, and the Northern Hemisphere’s summer combine, shattering temperature records.

In Phoenix, 13 consecutive days have seen temperatures rocket to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius). Locals, normally adapted to the desert’s intense summers and shielded by air conditioning, now require respite. In response, volunteers have stepped up to help.

Such is the intensity of heat in the southwestern U.S., health officials are advising reduced outdoor activity and awareness of heat illness symptoms such as excessive sweating and dizziness.

9-year-old Ja-Veah Cheney finds refuge from the fierce heat by dousing her head with water at Riverside Park’s splash pad station in New Bedford, Mass., on July 12, 2023. (Peter Pereira/The Standard-Times via AP)

Across the nation, battered by both intense heat and flooding, citizens resort to self-dousing with water to cool down from temperatures reaching up to 100 F (38 C). To ensure the well-being of employees, outdoor work was restricted nationwide last Monday.

South Europe, especially, grapples with another relentless heatwave, with predicted temperatures peaking at 113 F (45 C).

In Algeria, the temperature last week was so high that the nation logged its record nighttime low of 103.3 F (39.6 C) in the city of Adrar. This week, the heatwave persists, with many hauling water in the sweltering Algerian capital.

Scientists caution of potentially suffering through blistering temperatures all summer long, and possibly for years to come, as humanity continues to pump heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere.

Scenes from around the world:

A woman revels in the sun at the Tuileries gardens in Paris, expecting a temperature rise, Monday, July 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla)

A Nigerien woman balancing her baby and a water bottle atop her head, Saturday, July 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)

A man taking a refreshing leap into the sea from a breakwater in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, July 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Salvation Army volunteer Francisca Corral, handing out water at their Valley Heat Relief Station in Phoenix, Tuesday, July 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt York)

A woman seeking refuge from the sun under her umbrella during a stroll in downtown Rome, Thursday, July 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Patrons beating the heat in a public pool in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, July 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Migrants taking a water break while attempting to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico into the U.S. in Eagle Pass, Texas, Tuesday, July 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

A man shielding himself from the heat with an umbrella while touring the ancient Acropolis hill in Athens, Greece, Thursday, July 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

An Icelandic horse getting a refreshing spray of water at a stud farm in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, July 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

And more…

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More about Heatwave Coping Strategies

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• Protecting Workers in Extreme Heat
• Understanding El Niño
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