Summary of the day
Here’s a recap of today’s developments:
Millions across the US have been caught up in dangerous weather conditions over the weekend and are braced for further extreme conditions ahead of the Fourth of July holiday, as thunderstorms and intense heat continue to affect much of the country.
As of Monday, 36 million people are under excessive heat warnings in the US, particularly in the south and western regions. Record high temperatures in some places will likely remain as many gear up to celebrate the Independence Day holiday on Tuesday. A large swath of the US, from northern California through Washington state, will bake under intense heat for multiple days this week.
Many midwest cities are also dealing with the aftermath of severe rain and flooding. Weekend thunderstorms in Chicago flooded streets and highways, as nearly nine inches of rain fell in some areas of the city in just a few hours.
Many in the midwest are still without power after the weekend storms. A 33-year-old woman died in her parked car in St Louis when a tree fell on the vehicle, and a five-year-old boy was killed in his bedroom when a tree fell on his house in Jennings, Missouri, in St Louis county.
More wildfire smoke is expected to return to the northern states of the US, less than a week after smoke from Canadian wildfires resulted in hazy skies and dangerous air quality across the US midwest and north-east.
A woman has died due to heat-related issues while on a hike at Grand Canyon national park, according to authorities. The hiker, identified as a 57-year-old woman, was attempting an eight-mile hike when she fell unconscious, a park release said. Park officials said the high temperature at Tuweep was well over 100F (37C) degrees on Sunday.
The target of keeping long-term global warming within 1.5C (2.7F) is moving out of reach, climate experts have warned, with countries failing to set more ambitious goals despite months of record-breaking heat on land and sea.
Updated
The target of keeping long-term global warming within 1.5C (2.7F) is moving out of reach, climate experts have warned, with countries failing to set more ambitious goals despite months of record-breaking heat on land and sea, Reuters reported.
As climate envoys from the two biggest greenhouse gas emitters prepare to meet next month, the Chinese capital of Beijing saw record-breaking temperatures for the month, while parts of the US have been gripped by a prolonged heatwave for weeks.
The World Meteorological Organization has predicted a 66% likelihood that global temperatures will breach 1.5C for at least one whole year between now and 2027.
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