The heatwaves that have been sweeping Europe and the US in July would have been "virtually impossible" without human-induced climate change, according to a scientific study.
Global warming from burning fossil fuels also made the heatwave affecting parts of China 50 times more likely.
The study reveals that climate change caused the heatwave in southern Europe to be 2.5C hotter.
Experts are warning that almost all societies are unprepared for such deadly extreme heat.
The study's authors emphasize that these findings highlight the urgency of adapting to higher temperatures since extreme heat events are no longer "rare."
"Heat is among the deadliest types of disasters," says Julie Arrighi from the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, who is also one of the authors of the study.
Countries must take action to build heat-resistant homes, establish "cool centres" for people to find shelter, and implement strategies to cool cities, including planting more trees.
In July, temperature records were shattered in various regions of China, the southern US, and Spain. Millions of people were under red alerts for extreme heat for several days.
Experts stress that extreme heat poses a severe threat to life, particularly among the elderly. According to one study, during last year's heatwaves in Europe, more than 61,000 people were estimated to have died from heat-related causes.
"This study confirms what we knew before. It shows again just how much climate change plays a role in what we are currently experiencing," stated Friederike Otto from Imperial College London.
Climate scientists emphasize that decades of human activities emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere are responsible for the rise in global temperatures.
However, it's essential to note that not all extreme weather events can be immediately linked directly to climate change, as natural weather patterns also contribute.
A group of scientists from the UK, US, and the Netherlands in the World Weather Attribution group studied the recent heatwaves to identify the fingerprint of climate change.
Using computer models, they simulated a world without the effects of emissions pumped into the atmosphere, comparing it to the real-world temperatures observed during the heatwaves.
As per their conclusions, the North American heatwave was 2°C (3.6°F) hotter, and the heatwave in China was 1°C hotter due to climate change.
Since the pre-industrial period before humans began burning fossil fuels, the world has already warmed by 1.1C.
Experts warn that if the temperature rise reaches 2C, which is highly likely given the failure of many countries to reduce emissions rapidly enough, these extreme heat events will occur every two to five years.
The study also took into account the role of El Niño, a naturally occurring powerful climate fluctuation that began in June. While it contributes to higher global temperatures, the study suggests that the main driver behind the more intense heatwaves is the increased temperatures from burning fossil fuels.
Recent weeks have witnessed a slew of climate records being broken, including global average temperatures and sea surface temperatures, particularly in the North Atlantic.
Experts are sounding the alarm on the unprecedented speed and timing of these climate records, warning that more records could be shattered in the weeks and months to come.
Dangerous wildfires in Greece forced thousands of people to evacuate hotels over the weekend. Experts note that the hot and dry weather has created favorable conditions for the rapid spread of fires. Photo by Damien Boilley, Wikimedia commons.