“Many countries in the region are set to experience their hottest year on record in 2023, with extreme conditions ranging from drought and heat waves to floods and storms,” WMO chief Celeste Saulo said. He described the report as “serious”.
Barrett, deputy secretary-general of the WMO, said: “Extreme heat is fast becoming a major silent killer”.
The report highlights the rising rates of key climate change indicators such as surface temperatures, glacier retreat and sea level rise and says this will have serious impacts on society, economy and ecosystems in the region.
“Heat-related mortality is widely under-reported and therefore the true scale of premature deaths and economic costs … is not accurately reflected in the data,” Barrett said Wednesday.
