A Look Back At The Record-Breaking Heat Waves Of 2024

There was once a time when discussing the weather was the sort of idle chit chat that would be unlikely to cause any real tension. These days, however, climate change has ushered in some strange and often dangerous weather that should move the topic squarely out of the “small talk” category.

The year in review

Even though we’ve still got more than a month left until 2025, we can already chart a year-over-year increase in extreme weather events. Even though last year was itself exemplified by prolonged, relentless heat waves, this year is shaping up to replace it as the hottest in recorded history.

Worse yet, even some of the dire predictions of climate scientists over the past several years didn’t forecast temperatures as high as some areas experienced.

2024 will be the first full year that experts have had access to a global map of hotspots, which have been observed on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. These areas are not only more prone to heat waves and high temperatures but also droughts, fires, and climate-related mortality.

This map was created with data compiled from an extensive study of heat waves over the course of 65 years.

Hardest hit regions

In addition to recent weather trends, the global hotspot map gives experts even more context when determining which corners of the globe are most susceptible to extreme weather events — and heat waves in particular.

Some of the places most acutely impacted in recent decades are Africa, Japan, Korea, eastern Australia, central China, northern Greenland, Siberia, and the Arctic regions of Canada.

Residents across much of Europe have also experienced harsh heat waves, a trend exacerbated by the fact that many residents do not have access to air conditioning.

Chris Agee November 30th, 2024

Share this story: