Temperatures soar in Pakistan heatwave – DW – 05/23/2025
05/23/2025
May 23, 2025
Temperatures in parts of Pakistan have spiked up to 48 degrees Celsius, many degrees above the average for this time of May. The country's meteorological service has issued a heatwave alert and advised people to stay indoors.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Saba Yemen
37 minutes ago
- Saba Yemen
Meteorology: Chance of rain, hot weather
Sana'a - Saba: The National Center for Meteorology and Early Warning (NCMEW) has forecast rain in the highlands and coastal areas, and hot weather in the coasts and deserts over the next 24 hours. According to the center's weather bulletin, clear to partly cloudy skies are expected, with the possibility of scattered rain showers in parts of the governorates of Sa'ada, Hajjah, Raymah, western Dhamar, Ibb, and Taiz during the afternoon and evening. The weather may be clear to partly cloudy, hot, and humid, with the possibility of light rain on the eastern coasts and the Socotra Archipelago. Winds will be moderate in speed, while strong to very fast on the Socotra Archipelago, ranging between 18 and 28 knots, with gusts reaching 38 knots, causing sea disturbances and high waves. In desert areas, the weather may be clear, hot, or extremely hot and dry, with maximum temperatures ranging between 39 and 43 degrees Celsius. Light to moderate winds will be active during the day, stirring up dust and sand. The center warned seagoers, fishermen, and ship captains of rough seas and high waves east of the Gulf of Aden and around the Socotra Archipelago. It also warned citizens in desert and coastal areas of the hot and extremely hot weather and advised them to avoid direct sunlight during the afternoon and to drink plenty of fluids. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (Local)
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Chill Out But Not Too Much: India's ACs To Get New Eco-Friendly Temperature Limits
Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced new provisions to soon standardize air conditioning temperatures across India, setting a mandatory operational range between 20°C and 28°C. This means ACs will no longer be allowed to cool below 20 degrees Celsius or heat above 28 degrees Celsius. Manohar Lal Khattar said, 'A new provision is being implemented soon regarding air conditioning standards. The temperature standardisation for ACs will be set between 20°C to 28°C, which means we will not be able to cool below 20°C or heat above 28°C." He termed the decision a bold step towards energy efficiency, adding, 'We have decided the minimum temperature of ACs will be fixed at 20 degrees Celsius and maximum at 28 degrees Celsius." The implementation will commence soon, with monitoring planned to assess effectiveness and achieve uniformity in AC use, ultimately reducing excessive power consumption from extremely low cooling settings. India has consistently worked to promote energy conservation and reduce electricity demand, particularly during peak summer months as the minister highlighted that these revised limits are part of a broader policy framework aimed at enhancing residential and commercial energy efficiency. Currently, many ACs in Indian homes and offices operate below 20°C, leading to higher energy consumption and increased pressure on the national power grid. What New Rules Could Mean For AC Users? Once implemented, the new regulations will restrict the operational range of air conditioners. ACs that currently allow cooling down to 16°C or 18°C (and up to 30°C for heating) will be capped, with 20°C becoming the lowest possible temperature and 28°C the highest. According to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), raising the air conditioner temperature setting significantly cuts electricity use. While most ACs are commonly set between 20–21°C, the ideal comfort range is typically 24–25°C. The BEE states that raising the temperature from 20°C to 24°C can lead to approximately 24% power savings, with each 1°C increase contributing to about 6% electricity saving.
DW
an hour ago
- DW
How are oceans faring in a heating world? – DW – 06/10/2025
Climate change, plastic pollution and overfishing are putting a toll on oceans, biodiversity and livelihoods. Can the UN's ocean conference underway in France find solutions to help protect them? Earth's oceans are home to more than 250,000 species, among them tiny plankton, colorful coral reefs and the gigantic blue whale. Over a billion people rely on food from the sea as a significant source of nutrition. The international community is now meeting in Nice, France, to hash out solutions to better protect the planet's vulnerable and plundered ocean waters. But what are the area of concerns at the UN Ocean Conference? Warmer oceans mean fewer underwater inhabitants As the planet heats up, huge swathes of underwater life are at stake. With rising temperatures, corals lose their color as a stress response and these crucial habitats can then die. Coral bleaching affects about 84% of all reefs. If ocean temperatures were to rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times, most reefs would die. "With anything higher than 2 C, destruction would be inevitable," says Katja Matthes, director of the GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel in Germany. Warm water also absorbs less oxygen and that puts many more underwater creatures at risk. Deep-sea squids are found at depths ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 meters Image: Courtesy Everett Collection/picture alliance New research shows that oceans are warming to a depth of 2,000 meters (about 6,600 feet). "That means plankton, fish and marine mammals run out of oxygen. We see death zones here in Germany's Baltic Sea where life is virtually unable to exist anymore," Matthes said. Overfishing puts stress on marine ecosystems Excessive and unregulated fishing also puts a strain on marine ecosystems. Environmental organization WWF estimates the number of overfished stocks globally has tripled in the past 50 years. Fish populations have no chance to replenish if they're overly exploited. The problem is especially dire in the Mediterranean Sea, where over half of fish populations, such as herring, sardines and anchovies, are considered overexploited. "That has an impact on the food chain of bigger marine mammals and in turn affects an entire ecosystem," said Matthes. Fish are the most important source of protein for over a billion people. Over 600 million people depend on oceans for their livelihoods — especially in China, Indonesia and India. More plastic than fish in oceans by 2050 By 2050 the weight of all fish combined could be exceeded by something else: plastic waste. Every year, about 8 to 10 million tons of plastic ends up in the water. That's according to estimates by the World Resources Institute , a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. There's a big pile of garbage known as 'the Great Pacific Garbage Patch' floating around in the North Pacific Ocean Image: Ocean Voyages Institute/ alliance It can take hundreds of years for plastic to break down. The persistent waste and microplastic particles are causing increasing problems for marine life. Rising sea temperatures affect weather patterns Global ocean currents have a major influence on monsoon periods in South America and Asia and Europe's relatively mild climate. The Gulf Stream, for example, as part of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), brings warm water from the tropics to the North Atlantic Ocean. This helps regulate Europe's mild air temperatures and, thus, is central to the continent's high agricultural yields. According to researchers, rising temperatures could alter the AMOC. There are signs that the Gulf Stream is already slowing down. Without it, northern Europe would be 5 to 15 C colder, according to Germany's environment agency UBA. Oceans as an 'ally in the fight against climate change' Sea surface temperatures set new records in 2023 and 2024, according to the latest report from Copernicus, the European Union's Earth observation program. Water expands as it warms. This is one of the main reasons for sea level rise, alongside melting land ice. The sea is getting warmer, because it absorbs CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions. It's sucked up about a third of human-made emissions. "Without this storage function, the temperature in the atmosphere would already be unbearable," said marine scientist Carlos Duarte, who's based at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. "The ocean is our ally in the fight against climate change," Matthes said, "but only as long as we maintain its function." As water temperatures rise, oceans absorb less CO2. And higher CO2 levels turn the sea acidic, killing off mussels and corals, Matthes added. Adjusting to more acidic conditions is hard on many creatures, and means they can lack the energy needed to grow and reproduce. How are oceans protected right now? To counteract these threats, countries have established marine protected areas. The largest of these is located off the coast of Hawaii in the US. The kind of protection provided in such zones varies from country to country. Wind farm construction and fishing are often prohibited. Currently, there are protected areas in less than 9% of the world's oceans — but fishing is prohibited in just 3% of these. The goal of cutting down on plastic in oceans "We can't solve all the problems with marine protected areas. These zones don't matter to climate change or the plastic floating in the ocean," Duarte said. The UN has pushed for an international treaty for years to cut down on plastic pollution. Recent negotiations stalled thanks to oil and gas producing nations such as Saudi Arabia and Russia. The next round of talks is scheduled for later this year in August in Switzerland. Research into alternatives to conventional plastic is another avenue scientists are pursuing. Japanese researchers have developed a substance that is supposed to dissolve in ocean salt water within hours. However, such new alternatives offer no solution to the already huge amounts of plastic waste in oceans. Who is allowed to exploit ocean resources? About 40% of the oceans are governed by national law. These are the areas within a radius of approximately 370 kilometers (about 230 miles) around a state. Beyond this lie the high seas which don't belong to any nation and are often referred to as the "common heritage of mankind." For the longest time, this area wasn't regulated at all. "As a result, many of the ocean's resources were plundered without anyone being held accountable," Duarte said. So far, only 1% of the high seas is protected because the international community could not agree on any other region besides Antarctica. The International Convention on the High Seas signed by 134 nations in 2023 after 15 years of negotiations aims to close this gap. However, it only becomes binding when at least 60 countries have ratified the treaty. So far, 49 have done so, among them many smaller countries, as well as Bangladesh and France. Germany and the US have not yet ratified the treaty. The international community has also agreed to protect biodiversity. The goal is to place 30% of the oceans under protection by 2030, so within the next 5 years. That's ambitious, says Duarte. "It will take time for our current actions to have a noticeable impact in the future." Nevertheless, he says he's optimistic. "If we agree on this protection now, we will be able to leave our children and grandchildren an ocean in 2050 that looks roughly like the one our grandparents knew." This article was originally published in German as has been adapted by Sarah Steffen. Edited by: Anke Rasper
